The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a retrospective medical opinion regarding the severity of his condition and quantifying subjective symptoms described during his May 2022 Board hearing.
The deciding factor: The decision was not about service connection but rather an evaluation in excess of the current rating. The need for additional development is due to insufficient evidence on the severity of the Veteran's condition as testified to during his hearing and lack of specific range of motion measurements based on that testimony.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the thoracolumbar spine at L4-L5-S1, Grade I spondylodesis and spondylolysis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2026
- Citation
- 26000376
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 26000376.
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 the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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