The Veteran's claim of a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1, status-post hemilaminectomy, microdiskectomy, and foraminotomy with degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and re-examining him.
The deciding factor: The claim requires further development before it can be decided on appeal, specifically obtaining outstanding VA clinical records and reassessing the severity of his service-connected low back disability through a comprehensive examination.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1, status-post hemilaminectomy, microdiskectomy, foraminotomy with degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2014
- Citation
- 1426377
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 1426377.
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 Board remanded the claims for service connection for a left knee injury and migraine headaches due to inadequate VA medical opinions, while denying readjudication of the propriety of severance of service connection for lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1 as new and relevant evidence was not submitted.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective December 2, 2020. His sciatica of the left lower extremity is rated at 40 percent, effective October 9, 2015. His radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is rated at 20 percent, effective December 3, 2020.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1 is etiologically related to service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and additional development of the Veteran's treatment records.
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