The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for scars and remanded the claims for increased ratings of various musculoskeletal disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a compensable rating for the Veteran's scars, and there were outstanding non-VA records that needed to be obtained for proper evaluation of his other service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- scars status post microlaminectomies of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity radiculopathy sciatic nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy femoral nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy femoral nerve, left ankle post-traumatic osteoarthritis, right ankle post-traumatic osteoarthritis, mild degenerative joint disease of the left knee, mild degenerative joint disease of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2024
- Citation
- A24069052
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 Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current disability and his active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension, OSA, low back disorder, left hip disorder, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension, an increased rating for a stroke and stroke residuals, and an increased rating for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine from February 20, 2013 to January 22, 2020, exclusive of a convalescence period. The other claims were denied.
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