The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his low back and neck disabilities, as well as a claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to assess the severity of his lumbar spine strain with IVDS and cervical spondylosis with IVDS, and VA must consider the Veteran's employment history in determining whether he is unemployable.
The deciding factor: The Board found that remand was necessary due to inadequate examination reports for the Veteran's back and neck disabilities, as well as a need to clarify the Veteran's employment history related to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine strain with IVDS, cervical spondylosis with IVDS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23007359
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 23007359.
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 bilateral knee disabilities and lumbar spine strain with IVDS are rated at a 30 percent disability level. Effective February 17, 2026, the Veteran is granted a rating of 30 percent for his service-connected left knee mild chondromalacia, limitation of extension; right knee mild chondromalacia, limitation of extension; and lumbar spine strain with IVDS.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine strain with IVDS, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy (secondary to the lumbar spine disability), and right and left knee disabilities on a direct basis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for lumbar spine strain with IVDS from May 13, 2011, to April 19, 2012, and denied a higher rating. The Board also granted a 30 percent disability rating for cervical spondylosis with IVDS from December 13, 2019, to December 23, 2024, but denied a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as his claim of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The remand is due to inadequate medical opinions provided in previous VA examinations.
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