The Veteran's service connected thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the right upper and lower extremities, and radiculopathy of the left upper and lower extremities are all remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: Further VA examinations are needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service connected disabilities as the previous evaluations were not compliant with VA examination requirements.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, Cervical spine degenerative disc disease, Radiculopathy, right upper extremity, Radiculopathy, left upper extremity, Radiculopathy, right lower extremity, Radiculopathy, left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2026
- Citation
- 26000213
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 26000213.
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 initial claim for a higher rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease was denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 10 percent.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. Service connection was denied for a groin condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates as they were received more than one year after her intent to file a claim, and no good cause extension was requested.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the appeal for an increased rating is denied. The Veteran's degenerative osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy, right lower extremity, diabetic nephropathy chronic kidney disease, right great toe bunion and gout, and TDIU are all granted.
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