The Veteran's appeal is being returned to the RO for completion of the development directed by the Board in its last remand. The issues include service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraine headaches, and hypothyroidism; rating higher than 20 percent for degenerative arthrosis with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine prior to May 26, 2017 and to a rating higher than 40 percent thereafter; service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity; an effective date earlier than August 19, 2011, for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity; and total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
The deciding factor: The appeal is being returned to the RO for completion of the development directed by the Board in its last remand.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression), migraine headaches, hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20002317
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a 50 percent disability rating, effective August 8, 2023, due to very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks that are productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's migraine headaches based on prostrating attacks occurring more than once a month and severe economic inadaptability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, but no greater.
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