The Veteran's back condition and radiculopathy of the lower extremities are not rated higher than their current levels, with some issues remanded for further evaluation.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a higher rating based on the severity of the Veteran’s symptoms or functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- back condition, spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, rheumatoid arthritis (implied by radiculopathy)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19172874
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 19172874.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition, finding no evidence of a nexus between the in-service incident and the current disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for back, left wrist, left and right knee, and left and right shoulder conditions due to missing personnel records and an inadequate VA medical opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back condition, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current back disability and his active-duty service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased 40 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected back condition from June 19, 2024, and denied service connection for migraine headaches.
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