The Board has remanded two issues: 1) Entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for DJD of the lumbar spine, and 2) Entitlement to service connection for scoliosis as secondary to service-connected DJD of the lumbar spine. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the current severity of his DJD and whether his scoliosis is related to his service-connected DJD.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional evidence was needed, specifically through VA examinations, due to the Veteran's difficulty understanding appointment notices and scheduling issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, Scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19188504
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,429 · Granted: 29% (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 19188504.
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 determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and back disabilities should be remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his conditions.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to his valid opt-in of specific issues into the modernized review system.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.,Service connection was granted for scoliosis, with the condition aggravated during service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a higher initial rating of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and scoliosis, but remanded the other issues.
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