The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU prior to May 27, 2008 are being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The decision is remanded because there is insufficient information regarding the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and his employability status prior to May 27, 2008.
- Claimed conditions
- multilevel degenerative disc disease, arthritis of the lumbar spine, compression fracture of the lumbar vertebra at L1, resolved osteopenia of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20047340
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 20047340.
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 has granted service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, unspecified psychosis, arthritis of the lumbar spine, degenerative disc disease, multilevel spinal stenosis, and arthritis of the cervical spine and degenerative disc disease. The diagnoses are linked to in-service physical assaults.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for a lumbar spine disability should be remanded due to a duty to assist error.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, diagnosed as multilevel degenerative disc disease and facet arthropathy, finding that it is related to his in-service injury.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back disability and a cervical spine disability, finding that the evidence was in equipoise regarding their incurrence during active duty.
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