The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability was denied. The Board also remanded the issue of whether his right knee condition is secondary to his left knee disability, which requires further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) and Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbosacral spine, Meniscal tear of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20075058
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability and denied ratings in excess of the current levels for meniscal tear and limitation of motion of the left knee.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
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