The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient retrospective medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected low back disability from June 6, 2008. The AOJ is instructed to obtain a new VA medical opinion that addresses the amount in degrees of range of motion lost due to pain and flare-ups experienced by the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Board found previous retrospective opinions inadequate as they did not include a detailed analysis based on the Veteran's medical treatment records, lay statements, and history of his service-connected low back condition from June 2008 to present.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with degenerative arthritis (low back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 26, 2024
- Citation
- 24004232
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 896 · Granted: 51% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24004232.
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
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