The Veteran's service connection claim for a lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the lack of a VA examination and incomplete medical records. The Board will conduct an examination to determine if his current lumbar spine disabilities are related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his lumbar spine disability, which is necessary for proper adjudication of his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spondyloarthritis, lumbar spine stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19184516
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking a rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected lumbar spine stenosis was withdrawn by the Veteran, and the appeal is dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to active service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative spondylolisthesis and stenosis are due to an in-service injury, thus granting service connection for these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for keratosis was reopened and granted. The left ankle disability received a higher rating, but the right knee and lumbar spine stenosis claims were denied. The Veteran's hemorrhoidectomy condition remains non-compensable.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.