The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and service connection for a left shoulder disability.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on inadequate examinations, particularly concerning functional loss during flare-ups and the relationship between the Veteran’s service-connected cervical spine disorder and his claimed left shoulder pain.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, Left shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20069435
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 20069435.
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 decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine (claimed as back injury) due to inadequate VA examination and failure to comply with prior remand directives.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine was dismissed due to concurrent election of review options.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, left shoulder disorder, and right shoulder disorder are being remanded because they are inextricably intertwined with the implementation of his award for chronic osteomyelitis of the right lower extremity with a BKA.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, with muscle spasms; right elbow pain; and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy/ sciatica as secondary to the back disability have all been granted.
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