The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to a lack of recent VA examinations, and requests that Social Security Administration records be obtained.
The deciding factor: Recent VA examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative joint disease with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), bilateral lumbar radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2021
- Citation
- 21003934
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 21003934.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disability related to service and that the Veteran's current condition is not causally connected to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining treatment records and adequate nexus opinions. The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities are now before the Board.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating and service connection was denied. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is not characterized by ankylosis, and there is no evidence of bilateral radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lower back disorder, including lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), and bilateral lumbar radiculopathy.
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