The Board has remanded the case due to issues with scheduling a VA examination and verifying the Veteran's current address. The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The RO failed to substantially comply with previous directives, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2022
- Citation
- 22068513
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 22068513.
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 Board has restored the Veteran's disability rating for his lumbar spine disability from 40% to 40%, effective August 31, 2020. The reduction was improper due to lack of actual improvement in the Veteran's condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbar spine due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a VA examination and another, adequate, VA addendum opinion to properly rate his lumbar spine disability due to insufficient reasoning in the August 2024 VA medical opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
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