The Veteran's claim for service connection for a pinched nerve of the upper left extremity, to include as due to a cervical spine disability and/or service-connected lumbar stenosis L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 with right and left lower extremity radiculitis/radiculopathy, status post decompression and fusion is remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the May 2008 VA medical opinion is inadequate due to its lack of thorough explanation and based on a review of the Veteran’s medical history, the clinical findings made on examination, or the symptomatology reflected in the medical and lay evidence of record. Additionally, the May 2013 VA medical opinion does not address whether the Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to his lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- pinched nerve of the upper left extremity, cervical spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19190964
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 19190964.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and chronic pain syndrome due to untimely notices of disagreement.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disability to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing the Veteran's in-service treatment for pack palsy with residual weakness.
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