The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a low back disorder prior to August 14, 2014 and entitlement to TDIU prior to November 12, 2018 due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: Insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's range of motion between September 11, 2012 and August 22, 2014 was provided.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic thoracolumbar strain with degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2025
- Citation
- 25003988
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,886 · Granted: 24% (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 25003988.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating prior to August 22, 2014, for chronic thoracolumbar strain with degenerative disc disease is denied.,The Veteran's claim for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114 (s) is denied.,The Veteran's claims of entitlement to a higher initial disability rating prior to October 16, 2020, for cervical spine disability and TDIU prior to November 12, 2018 are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment due to his orthopedic conditions, hearing loss, and tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied an increased rating for chronic thoracolumbar strain with degenerative disc disease and has remanded issues of service connection for right hip, left hip, and left knee conditions.
- Granted
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals on the issues of initial increased evaluations for headaches and chronic thoracolumbar strain with degenerative disc disease due to her withdrawal at a hearing. The right knee disability was granted service connection, but no higher evaluation is warranted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.