The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board notes that more recent evidence has been obtained since the last examination, which may affect the current severity of the Veteran's conditions. Additionally, there are claims for higher initial ratings for several service-connected disabilities, necessitating further evaluation and potential rating adjustments.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Status post right elbow fracture, Left knee degenerative changes, Right hip labrum tear, Bilateral plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1509677
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 1509677.
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 right lower extremity radiculopathy was evaluated at a 20 percent rating, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease prior to August 1, 2025 was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to March 10, 2025 were denied as there is no neurological impairment associated with these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) secondary to bilateral plantar fasciitis and left shoulder tendinitis due to inadequate medical opinion regarding causation.
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