The Board has remanded two claims: one for service connection for lumbar radiculopathy (right leg pain) and another for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine (back pain). The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination to determine the etiology of his conditions, so the case is being sent back for further evaluation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's claims were remanded due to the lack of a VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of his back disability and right-leg radiculopathy.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar radiculopathy, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20056743
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 20056743.
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 Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury during active duty and his continuous symptoms since then.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar radiculopathy and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity are rated at 20 percent effective November 6, 2024.
- Denied
The Board found the reduction in disability evaluation from 40% to 20% was improper and void ab initio due to inadequate examination for reduction.
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