The Board has remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative spondylitis and disc disease L5/S1, an initial compensable rating for vascular headaches, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The eligibility to Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations to assess the severity of the service-connected conditions and their impact on the veteran's functional ability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative spondylitis and disc disease L5/S1 (low back disability), Vascular headaches, Residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19189066
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · Granted: 23% (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 19189066.
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 remands the claims for higher initial disability ratings for PTSD, TBI, and left ulnar nerve damage due to a duty-to-assist error in not obtaining service treatment records and VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the claims for service connection due to a regulatory duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for service-connected PTSD with substance abuse disorders, a separate 10 percent rating for residuals of TBI effective October 23, 2008, and a separate 40 percent rating for residuals of TBI effective October 11, 2016. The Board also granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU, SMC based on housebound status, and separate evaluations for residuals of traumatic brain injury.
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