The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received after the last rating decision, which suggests possible bowel function related manifestations and IVDS. The Veteran needs additional VA examinations to determine the severity of his lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: New medical evidence indicates potential bowel function manifestations and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), necessitating further evaluation by a VA examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, Left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, Right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19182745
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.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of June 2, 2023, for the grant of service connection for various conditions and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable disability rating for the Veteran's posterior trunk surgical scar and remanded claims related to his bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome with discectomy and laminectomy, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and incontinence as secondary to the Veteran's IVDS.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy, while granting a 40 percent rating from November 24, 2020 to August 1, 2022.
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