The Board has determined that the reduction of ratings for right and left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy from 20 percent to 10 percent was improper, and has restored the original 20 percent ratings. The issues of increased ratings for lumbosacral spine disability and bilateral sciatic neuropathy are remanded due to lack of recent VA examination records.
The deciding factor: The reduction action did not make a finding of actual improvement in the Veteran’s ability to function under the ordinary conditions of life and work, thus requiring restoration of the prior ratings. The issues of increased ratings for lumbosacred spine disability and bilateral sciatic neuropathy are remanded due to lack of recent VA examination records.
- Claimed conditions
- right lower extremity sciatic neuropathy, left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy, lumbosacral spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20029370
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 20029370.
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 has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbosacral spine disability and for TDIU based on that condition due to inadequate examination. The case is being returned for further development.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between the condition and active duty service or any other factor.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is proximately due to or has undergone any incremental increase in disability due to his service-connected mental health, back, and shoulder disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in the previous VA examination, which did not discount the ameliorative effects of her pain medication. The case is also remanded for consideration of TDIU as part of the evaluation of her back disability.
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