The Veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) was previously rated at 20 percent prior to November 1, 2011. The Board has remanded the issue for further review.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy was previously rated at 40 percent effective July 14, 2017. The Board has remanded this issue for further review.,Left lower extremity radiculopathy was previously rated at 40 percent effective December 24, 2014. The Board has remanded this issue for further review.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence or clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy, left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19161329
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 19161329.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the issues of entitlement to earlier effective dates for RLE and LLE radiculopathy service connection awards, finding that the AOJ failed to reconsider these claims under 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c) after receipt of relevant official service department records. The Board remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine whether the radiculopathy onset occurred prior to September 15, 1999.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as special monthly compensation and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied restoration of the 20 percent ratings for cervical spine strain, thoracolumbar strain, and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to improvement in the disabilities under ordinary conditions of life and work.
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