The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine is being remanded due to a lack of a VA medical examination and insufficient competent medical evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that a VA medical examination is needed to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, as there is insufficient competent medical evidence in the record to make a fully informed decision on the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease of thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 23, 2024
- Citation
- A24040040
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 A24040040.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claim for chronic kidney disease and degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine was denied. The Board also remanded claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy in both lower extremities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and medical opinions addressing the Veteran's lay reports about his in-service symptoms and their relation to his current disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the Veteran's service connection claims.
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