The Veteran's initial rating for thoracolumbar strain is granted at a 40 percent, but not higher. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.
The deciding factor: The decision was made based on the current evidence and the need to obtain additional information before making a determination on the psychiatric claim.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar strain, an acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22004722
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 22004722.
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 application to revise a November 2001 rating decision, which assigned an initial 30 percent rating for an acquired psychiatric disability due to service connection on the merits, is denied as there is no clear and unmistakable error in the decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for back condition was denied in a June 1996 Board decision. The Veteran filed an intent to file a claim form and submitted a formal application on August 30, 2023, which resulted in the award of service connection with an initial rating of 40% effective from that date.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of August 14, 2024 for the award of a 40 percent rating for service-connected chronic compression fracture at T7 with lumbar spondylosis and thoracolumbar strain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for tinnitus is denied. The Board has remanded the remaining claims of service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disability.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, are being remanded due to incomplete evidence and procedural errors.,
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