The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations, consideration of extraschedular evaluations, and development of the TDIU claim.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that further examination is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and its impact on his lower extremities. The VA Director's Office will also consider whether an extraschedular evaluation is warranted for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. Additionally, a TDIU claim must be developed as it has been raised by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Incomplete paralysis of right lower extremity associated with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Incomplete paralysis of left lower extremity associated with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2024
- Citation
- 24013372
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 24013372.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his lumbar spine and right hip disabilities due to a duty to assist error. The effective date for DEA benefits is granted as May 1, 2014.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and higher initial rating for his back disability is denied. The effective date remains March 29, 2021, as the earliest date of claim. An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for the back disability from March 29, 2021, is also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability and right leg radiculopathy are granted service connection, but left leg radiculopathy is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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