The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current status of his service-connected low back disability and right sciatica.
The deciding factor: The claim requires further evidence as per the Court's August 2014 JMPR instructions, necessitating an updated VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back strain with degenerative changes, Right sciatica
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2017
- Citation
- 1714580
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 1714580.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal of the proposed reduction from 30 percent to 10 percent for GERD is dismissed. The appeal of a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for low back strain with degenerative changes is denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a back condition secondary to the Veteran's right knee injury, finding that her abnormal gait likely aggravated her pre-existing back condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following any substantially gainful occupation prior to October 22, 2020.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his bilateral upper extremity and back disabilities were denied. The rating for ulnar nerve entrapment at elbow (left upper extremity) was denied as the disability did not meet the criteria for a greater than 20 percent rating. Similarly, the rating for carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve entrapment at elbow (right upper extremity) was also denied. The rating for low back strain with degenerative changes was denied due to lack of evidence showing severe incomplete paralysis or ankylosis.
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