The Board has determined that further development is necessary before a decision on the merits may be made regarding the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected lumbosacral spondylolisthesis with sciatic nerve involvement and IVDS, and service-connected sciatica. The Veteran was last provided a VA examination relating to his conditions in July 2015, over three years ago. A new VA examination is required so that the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities may be determined.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that further development is necessary due to the lack of recent medical examinations for the Veteran's service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- sciatica, right side, lumbosacral spondylolisthesis with sciatic nerve involvement and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 23, 2018
- Citation
- 18128898
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 18128898.
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 has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee conditions, sleep condition, and sciatica.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those related to higher ratings for sciatica and lumbosacral spondylolisthesis with IVDS, an increased rating for right shoulder impingement syndrome, a TDIU effective date earlier than August 25, 2011, service connection for tinnitus, and hearing loss. The Board dismissed the appeal due to withdrawal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence received after May 2016. The claims will be reviewed again and a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) must be issued.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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