The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbosacral spine disability and neurological disorder of the right lower extremity involving the sciatic nerve are being remanded due to incomplete development.
The deciding factor: Incomplete development of records, particularly from VA Northern California Health Care System, is noted.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Lumbosacral Spine, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbosacral Spine, Neurological Disorder of the Right Lower Extremity involving the Sciatic Nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19195550
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 19195550.
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 service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, left sciatic radicular pain, and headaches. It also granted an initial rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a rating of 30 percent for lipoma of the skin on the back of the head. The claims for increased ratings for right knee strain with shin splints and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome were denied, as was the claim for an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his back disability and for entitlement to TDIU due to the need for additional development and readjudication.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected back disability contributed to his death and whether a heart disability was caused by medications used for his back condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a low back disability, and sleep apnea. The claims are now remanded for further development.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.