The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error in obtaining relevant VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his low back disorder and radiculopathy of the LLE.
The deciding factor: There were errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions and VA treatment records, which are required for proper adjudication of the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disorder, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (LLE)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- A20015989
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a low back disorder to correct duty to assist errors, as the previous VA examinations and opinions are inadequate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hearing loss, psychiatric disorder, neck disorder, and radiculopathy of both upper and lower extremities to correct duty-to-assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of a disability rating for a low back disorder and entitlement to TDIU due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back disorder, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity on a secondary basis, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity on a secondary basis.
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