The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claims for increased ratings on appeal can be adjudicated. The Veteran's lumbar spine and cervical strain disabilities are being remanded for new VA examinations to assess their current severity.
The deciding factor: Further evidence is required to determine the current nature, extent, and severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and cervical strain disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine multilevel degenerative changes, chronic cervical strain with mild degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21007512
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 21007512.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for cervical spine disability is dismissed. The claims for an increased rating for heart disability and TDIU are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's cervical spine and GERD disabilities are currently rated, but the case is remanded for further explanation regarding his left shoulder disability.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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