The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for DDD and strain of the lumbar spine, as well as his claim for a TDIU. The claims are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports and the need for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the June 2017 VA thoracolumbar spine examination was inadequate and required a new examination before deciding the claims on the merits.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), Strain of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159938
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 19159938.
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 Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease and associated radiculopathy, as the record does not include all relevant treatment records prior to back surgery.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, including degenerative disc disease, degenerative arthritis, spondylolisthesis, and compression fracture at L2, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased disability rating of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease as secondary to service-connected knee disabilities due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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