The Board has determined that the VA examination is inadequate and remands the case for further development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA orthopedic/neurological examination.
The deciding factor: The March 2013 VA examination was found to be inadequate due to several omissions and inaccuracies in the report. The Veteran has been diagnosed with radiculopathy and experienced incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome, which need to be addressed in the evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion at L4-L5 with degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2013
- Citation
- 1336148
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 1336148.
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 appeal for a compensable disability rating for service-connected migraine headaches is remanded due to the need for further evaluation and consideration.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of both lower extremities is being remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant private medical records. The AOJ will consider these records when readjudicating the claim.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for neurological impairment of the right and left lower extremities, variously diagnosed as neuropathy and radiculopathy, which is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have caused occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The effective date for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy, right lower extremity is granted as August 24, 2012.
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