The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to decide the Veteran's claim of service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and thus remands the case.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided were found to be inadequate due to lack of rationale and consideration of post-service events. The Board also noted a pre-decisional duty to assist error in relying on these inadequate opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2024
- Citation
- A24028803
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A24028803.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, sciatic nerve, with effective dates of June 8, 2015 and November 19, 2018 respectively. The Board also granted a rating of 40 percent for IVDS with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine as of March 24, 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right knee and left knee disabilities, as well as his IVDS with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all remanded for further development.,Specifically, a new VA examination is needed to evaluate the current extent and severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities. The Veteran also needs an updated VA examination for his IVDS and degenerative arthritis.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as they are not severe enough to prevent sedentary work.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding functional loss and flare-ups, as well as a determination of whether fecal incontinence is related to service-connected IVDS.
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