The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's reports of in-service symptoms and the significance of his surgery, which may affect the determination of whether his conditions were aggravated by military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of lumbar spine, Left lumbar radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2023
- Citation
- 23010386
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 23010386.
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 Veteran's initial higher rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is denied, and he is granted initial ratings of 40% each for peripheral neuropathy affecting both lower extremities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to preclude substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to correct duty-to-assist errors related to the Veteran's back condition, left leg pain, hypertension, tinnitus, knee strain, and sleep apnea.
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