The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to issues related to his lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and unemployability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and its associated radiculopathy, as well as to determine if he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint and Disc Disease Lumbar Spine, Radiculopathy, Right Lower Extremity, Radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21063329
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 21063329.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for PTSD was granted, and his claims for increased ratings of degenerative arthritis of the spine with spinal stenosis, radiculopathy left lower extremity, and radiculopathy right lower extremity were also granted. The effective dates are not specified as they are based on when the claims were filed or denied.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, granted a 20 percent disability rating for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, and remanded several other claims including those for increased ratings for various disabilities and TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a temporary total evaluation are being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records, additional private medical records, and a new VA examination.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.