The Veteran's low back disability has been granted service connection, but a higher rating is being requested. The Board finds that an examination is needed to determine the current level of severity.
The deciding factor: The need for an examination to assess the current level of severity of the Veteran's low back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19163068
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · 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 19163068.
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 has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding secondary service connection for migraines. The Veteran's current migraines are being evaluated for potential aggravation by service-connected musculoskeletal conditions and psychiatric disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The VA is instructed to schedule the Veteran for a new examination to assess his lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and their impact on employment.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus was granted with an effective date of December 15, 1988. The appeal regarding the initial rating for chronic lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis is remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence to show that any of these conditions were pre-existing or aggravated by service.
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