The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for somatic symptom disorder is denied as his disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for lumbar spine DDD, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and gastritis are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for gastritis is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a higher rating for somatic symptom disorder as it only results in occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, consistent with a 30 percent rating.,The VA examinations did not adequately address the severity of the Veteran's radiculopathy disabilities or gastritis due to lack of information about flare-ups. The AOJ failed to obtain addendum opinions or new examinations.,The March 2020 VA examination for gastritis was inadequate as it did not address whether the Veteran experiences symptoms such as anemia, which are related to his service-connected gastritis.
- Claimed conditions
- Somatic Symptom Disorder, Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), Left Lower Extremity Lumbar Radiculopathy, Right Lower Extremity Lumbar Radiculopathy, Gastritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2024
- Citation
- A24062383
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24062383.
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
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