The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her thoracolumbar spine disability and for additional retroactive CRDP payments. The claims are being returned to VA for further development, including obtaining an updated examination and conducting another audit of the Veteran’s account.
The deciding factor: The March 2020 VA examination was incomplete as it did not review the medical evidence in the claims file or consider all available lay and medical evidence regarding the impact of flare-ups on the Veteran's ability to work. Additionally, no development has been completed for the retroactive CRDP claim.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, DDD of the thoracic spine, lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20046988
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 20046988.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for IVDS, functional diarrhea, face scars, LLE radiculopathy associated with lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome (LLE radiculopathy), and hypertension. The Veteran's claims were based on a March 1, 2024, intent to file form.,The Board also denied an earlier effective date for eligibility for Dependents' Assistance under 38 USC chapter 35 (DEA).
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for lumbar spine condition (lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome with spondylolisthesis) was denied, as the disability did not meet criteria for a higher than 10 percent evaluation.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 40 percent disability rating for the appellant's lumbar IVDS with degenerative arthritis prior to October 20, 2020. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 40 percent is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a VA examination to address service connection and rating issues.
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