The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent from April 14, 2007 to December 18, 2008; in excess of 20 percent from December 19, 2008 to January 5, 2021 (to include since May 14, 2012); and in excess of 40 percent thereafter for a low back disability. The TBI claim is also remanded. Separate ratings are requested for the Veteran's TBI and specified trauma and stressor related disorder. The TDIU claim is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development was needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's low back disability, as well as to distinguish between overlapping symptoms caused by his TBI and specified trauma and stressor related disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Atypical headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2022
- Citation
- 22028613
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 22028613.
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 service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its residuals, including unsteady gait, somnolence, and cognitive dysfunction. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay statements about in-service head injuries and subsequent seizures.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and therefore, service connection for TBI is denied.
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