The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities due to inadequate examinations in prior remands. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with the rating issues.
The deciding factor: The examinations were not conducted according to the Board's previous orders, leading to internal inconsistencies and insufficient information regarding the Veteran's conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with degenerative joint disease (DJD), Lumbar spine IVDS with degenerative arthritis of the spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2023
- Citation
- 23054813
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 23054813.
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 cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, effective June 28, 2013. The claim for service connection for a low back disability was granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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