The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, including as secondary to DDD of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's complaints of recurrent back pain in April 1991 are being evaluated for their potential relation to current DDD, and a VA medical opinion is needed regarding whether the radiculopathy had its onset during service or is related to service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board requested an addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's complaints of recurrent back pain in April 1991 were early presentations of current DDD, and whether the radiculopathy was related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068384
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 145 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20068384.
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 has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine. The current VA opinions are deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injury and continuous symptomatology since service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examiner's opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities result in loss of use and if so, whether he requires aid and attendance without considering such disability/ies. The Veteran also needs to be considered for SMC R1 based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Granted
The July 2024 rating decision granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, with initial ratings of 10 percent each. The past-due benefits awarded are contested.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.
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