The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of lumbar disc disease, right ear hearing loss, left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and major depression are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence.
The deciding factor: Additional medical examination is required to assess current disability severity and consider newly associated VA treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar disc disease, right ear hearing loss, left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, major depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144484
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 18144484.
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 for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor based on a finding of etiological relation to in-service noise exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for major depression, personality disorder, and severe anxiety due to an inadequate VA examination and opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left foot condition, right foot condition, cellulitis, right ear hearing loss, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal of the proposal to reduce a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain was dismissed.
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