The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities have been remanded due to new treatment records showing possible worsening of his conditions.
The deciding factor: New treatment records indicate possible worsening of the Veteran's DJD and DDD since the most recent VA examination, warranting a new VA examination to assess current severity.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the cervical spine, Degenerative Disk Disease (DDD) lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2024
- Citation
- 24018391
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 24018391.
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 a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for cervical spine DJD, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disability, including whether it is related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, effective February 5, 2022. The rating for LUE radiculopathy remains unchanged.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability and upper extremity radiculopathy are rated at the lowest available levels, with no higher ratings granted due to lack of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.
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