The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating greater than 10 percent prior to February 9, 2017 and greater than 20 percent thereafter for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine. The Veteran also had his TDIU claim remanded due to inconsistencies in VA examination reports.,The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 6, 2018 for the assignment of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU).
The deciding factor: There are inconsistencies in the VA examination reports that require further evaluation and clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19195055
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 19195055.
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 claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings and service connection, finding no persuasive evidence that the criteria for increased evaluations were met prior to the respective claim or examination dates.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's back condition, finding it less likely than not related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for adjustment disorder with depressed mood. The decision was based on the lack of new and material evidence within one year of previous denials.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the restoration of a 40 percent rating for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine effective October 23, 2017, but denied an earlier effective date for service connection for major depressive disorder.
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