The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current back disability is related to symptoms reported after service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not clearly address the relationship between the Veteran's reported continuous symptoms and his present disability, necessitating further clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- left S1 radiculopathy, lumbar myositis, grade 1 spondylolisthesis L5-S1 with associated bilateral spondylolysis, degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18160173
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 18160173.
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 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's lower back disability and radiculopathy were rated at 40 percent, but the Board found no evidence of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes warranting a higher rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are granted effective from April 8, 2010. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to work due to his lumbar myositis starting in April 2010.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for lumbar myositis and service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Board will obtain new examinations and opinions to address the severity of his lumbar disability and the etiology of his bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.
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