The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability prior to June 27, 2013 is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the severity of his condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA examiners did not provide sufficient information about the Veteran's lumbar spine disability prior to June 27, 2013 and requested a new addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (lumbar spine disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2022
- Citation
- 22053591
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 22053591.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons and bases for failing to address the Veteran's arguments regarding the adequacy of the July 2020 VA examination, as well as the need to consider whether a retrospective medical opinion was warranted. The Board also found that the August 2018 and July 2020 VA examinations were inadequate due to inconsistent findings regarding flareups.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and PTSD, as well as a TDIU rating due to his service-connected PTSD.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of a 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome prior to March 24, 2021.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a higher initial rating of 50 percent from June 23, 2011 to December 26, 2013. The lumbar spine disability was remanded for further evaluation.
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