The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine and chronic strain of the lumbar spine due to the need for contemporaneous VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was last examined by VA in March 2018, and his disabilities have increased in severity as evidenced by increased pain, further reduction in range of motion, and neurological symptoms. The Board found that a remand is necessary to afford him contemporaneous VA examinations to assess the current nature and severity of such service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Chronic strain of the lumbar spine, Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22045271
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 22045271.
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 increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine was granted with effective dates of May 13, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.
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