The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his lumbar spine and associated radiculopathy disabilities. The temporary total evaluation claim also requires further action.
The deciding factor: The case must be returned to the Board for further action due to outstanding medical records and the need for additional examinations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's disability.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylosis with arthritic changes of the lumbar spine, lumbar radiculopathy of the right femoral nerve, lumbar radiculopathy of the left femoral nerve, lumbar radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve, lumbar radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1717578
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 1717578.
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 remands the claims for a new VA examination to address trophic changes, gait changes, and the effects of medications on the Veteran's radiculopathy symptoms.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for lumbar radiculopathy and special monthly compensation due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 4, 2017, for a 20 percent rating for lumbar radiculopathy of the left femoral nerve. The Board found that there was no factual basis to support an earlier effective date due to insufficient evidence showing a specific increase in severity within the year prior to the claim.
- Granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for lumbar radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve prior to October 5, 2020.
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