The Board remands the claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine with lumbar strain due to an inadequate VA examination.
The deciding factor: The November 2020 VA back examination was found to be inadequate as it did not address the severity, duration, precipitating, and alleviating factors of the Veteran's lower back flare-ups, and a new examination is required.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine with lumbar strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2024
- Citation
- 24032983
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.
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- Granted
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