The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar degenerative disc disease and in excess of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity due to insufficient examination findings regarding flare-ups.
The deciding factor: The prior VA examinations did not properly assess any additional potential functional loss during flare-ups as required by legal precedent, necessitating a new examination.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20022907
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 20022907.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to August 14, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his physical limitations could be accommodated by sedentary employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and remanded the claim for adjustment disorder. The Veteran's radiculopathy is not shown to be related to his military service, while his adjustment disorder may be related to civilian life.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for migraines, lumbar degenerative disc disease with associated lower extremity radiculopathy, and right and left lower extremity radiculopathy. Service connection is denied for left hip strain and right hip strain.
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