The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to November 30, 2017, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine (DDD), as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU). The remand is due to incomplete VA examination reports and failure to comply with previous Board directives.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner was unable to provide an adequate opinion regarding the Veteran's functional loss related to flare-ups, as well as range of motion measurements for pain on both active and passive motion and weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing. The remand is also due to failure to consider the previous examinations conducted in December 2012 and April 2016.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19167266
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19167266.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is being remanded due to a failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination in connection with her claim. The Board finds that this was a pre-decisional duty to assist error and requires rescheduling of the examination.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's degenerative disc disease is related to service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of August 7, 2023 for the grant of service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease and Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (also claimed as a back condition), and bilateral lower extremity sciatic neuropathy.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability and right upper extremity radiculopathy were denied increased evaluations. The TDIU claim was also denied prior to August 20, 2013.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.