The reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected low back strain, effective January 5, 2015, was improper and a 20 percent rating is restored.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is remanded.
The deciding factor: The reduction in rating from 20 percent to 10 percent without compliance with the requirements set forth in 38 U.S.C. § 1155 and 38 C.F.R. § 3.951(a) was improper.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is remanded as there are no schedular criteria met, but the evidence suggests he may be unemployable by reason of his back problems.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19150000
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 880 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19150000.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for low back strain, left shoulder, and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) based on evidence showing a causal relationship to in-service events or injuries.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed because the March 2020 rating decision, which granted service connection for a low back strain, was never issued and therefore not an appealable decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for his service-connected low back strain was denied, as the current severity of his condition does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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