The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his low back disability prior to June 14, 2011 and from June 14, 2011 to April 15, 2018. The claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for the low back disability beginning April 15, 2018 is also remanded. Additionally, the Veteran's claim for total disability due to individual unemployability is being remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was insufficient to determine whether the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities alone prevent him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment and ordered an additional examination to address this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, depressive disorder, asthma, lumbar spine osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis (implied by depression), rhabdomyolysis (implied by ganglion cysts)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 2, 2021
- Citation
- 21011717
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 21011717.
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 respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases of sleep apnea and asthma due to a failure to provide proper notice for a hearing.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's vascular headaches are granted effective August 22, 2011. A TDIU is granted effective February 11, 2015. SMC based on housebound criteria is denied prior to July 14, 2020.
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