The Board has remanded two issues: 1) the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbar spondylosis L5 with spondylolisthesis at L5-S1, and 2) his claim for a higher rating for bilateral flat feet and posterior calcaneal spurs. The reasons provided by the Board were inadequate as they did not address whether the Veteran had any functional loss due to intermittent pain or if he experienced flare-ups.
The deciding factor: The Board's decision was found to be insufficient in addressing the Veteran's complaints of intermittent pain and lack of evidence regarding his ability to perform activities with flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spondylosis L5 with spondylolisthesis at L5-S1, bilateral flat feet and posterior calcaneal spurs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073699
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,185 · Granted: 28% (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 20073699.
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 Veteran's lumbar spondylosis L5 with spondylolisthesis at L5-S1 is rated as 20 percent disabling. The ratings for lower extremity radiculopathy are also addressed, but the Veteran does not meet the criteria for higher ratings.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for lumbar spondylosis L5 with spondylolisthesis at L5-S1, currently rated as 20 percent disabling, has been denied. The VA examiner found no evidence of unfavorable or favorable ankylosis and noted that the Veteran’s forward flexion was within normal limits.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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