The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and lupus to schedule VA examinations.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the appellant's safety concerns regarding in-person appointments.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Lupus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21062277
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 claims for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and an earlier effective date for total disability based on individual unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date prior to January 10, 2024, for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, both prior to and from December 2, 2019.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and increased the ratings for gastroesophageal reflux disease and migraine headaches. The appeal was dismissed in some cases, and certain issues were remanded.
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