The Veteran's service-connected spondylolysis L4 with spondylolisthesis L4-5 and disc bulge L4-5 is currently rated at 40 percent. The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his condition, as he reported worsening since the last examination in June 2015.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported that his service-connected back disorder had worsened since the June 2015 VA examination and is scheduled for a spinal fusion surgery on January 30th, 2020. The Board has therefore remanded the case to obtain a new VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylolysis L4, spondylolisthesis L4-5, disc bulge L4-5
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003285
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 961 · Granted: 20% (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 20003285.
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.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for an increased rating for spondylolisthesis, L4-5, with osteoarthritis is denied. The claims of reopening the service connection for headaches and challenging the January 1971, April 1985, and July 1986 rating actions are all considered to be mixed decisions.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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