The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and clarification of employment history.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to conduct a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's cervical spine disability, as well as clarify his employment history from April 2012 until his retirement in March 2016.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005884
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 intervertebral disc disease of the lumbar spine and degenerative disease of the cervical spine to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including degenerative diseases of the cervical and lumbar spine, radiculopathies affecting various extremities, OSA, hepatic steatosis, and supraventricular arrhythmia.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of October 4, 2006, for the award of service connection for degenerative disease of the cervical spine.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.