The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, the Board has determined that additional development is needed before a determination can be made regarding whether service connection should be granted.
The deciding factor: Additional medical examination is required to determine if there is a relationship between the Veteran's disabilities and his military service or any other relevant factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Left hand degenerative joint disease (DJD), Right hand DJD, Left hip DJD, Right hip DJD, Left ankle DJD, Right ankle DJD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003380
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 Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine as secondary to service-connected impairment of the left knee with arthritis and impairment of the right knee with arthritis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy impacting both lower extremities on a secondary basis to the back disability, and right knee degenerative arthritis.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating greater than 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and scoliosis of the thoracic spine.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) was denied as the evidence did not show that he required personal health-care services provided on a daily basis in his home by a person who is licensed to provide such services or under the regular supervision of a licensed health-care professional.
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