The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for low back strain with degenerative disc disease and sciatica of the right lower extremity due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for more contemporaneous medical examination.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for additional evidence and a more recent evaluation by VA medical personnel.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain with degenerative disc disease, sciatica of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193727
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 19193727.
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 disability rating of 40 percent for the right lower extremity sciatica and denied higher ratings for both left and right lower extremities, as well as service connection for incomplete paralysis of the right external popliteal nerve and TDIU.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for the veteran's service-connected conditions, including depressive disorder, back disability, sciatica of the right lower extremity, and tension headaches.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for major depressive disorder and remanded claims for service connection of bone spurs and sciatica due to insufficient evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for migraines, including migraine variants, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and granted a TDIU rating on an accrued basis.
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