The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to insufficient evidence and a need for updated VA examinations. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are being evaluated to determine if they prevent him from securing or maintaining employment.
The deciding factor: Insufficient evidence was provided regarding the current effects of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure or maintain gainful employment, necessitating new evaluations and documentation.
- Claimed conditions
- Mechanical low back pain, Traumatic arthritis of the thoracic spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20041328
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20041328.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the appeal for service connection of mechanical low back pain, finding no current disability and concluding that the March 1999 rating decision was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected back disability and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded due to new evidence received within one year of the February 2010 rating decision, which indicates that the Veteran was unable to work due to PTSD.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for mechanical low back pain and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease L3-4 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other factors. Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy were also denied as there is no evidence of secondary service connection.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.