The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than May 11, 2011 for service connection are denied.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a back scar are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The effective dates cannot be earlier than May 11, 2011 as the claims were not filed before this date. The other issues have been remanded due to lack of recent examination and evidence.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require further evaluation for increased ratings, including consideration of flare-ups and functional impairment.,The TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims and requires resolution before a decision can be made.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, back scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19173525
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 19173525.
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 Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found the eligibility determination for PCAFC enrollment to be legally inadequate and remanded for a new medical opinion that adequately addresses the criteria for eligibility as set forth in VA regulations.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
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