The Board has decided to remand the claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for mechanical lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, left leg lumbar radiculopathy of the femoral and sciatic nerves, and right leg lumbar radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve. The effective dates for separate compensable evaluations for left leg lumbar radiculopathy of the femoral and sciatic nerves as well as right leg lumbar radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve are also remanded.
The deciding factor: The appellant's service-connected disabilities have increased in severity, necessitating a new VA examination to determine their current manifestations and severity.
- Claimed conditions
- Mechanical lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, Left leg lumbar radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, Left leg lumbar radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, Right leg lumbar radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19149427
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19149427.
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
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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