The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, including VA treatment records from November 2021. The claims are being remanded for further examination and readjudication.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional relevant evidence had been associated with the claims file since the last Statement of the Case was issued in January 2018, specifically including VA treatment records from November 2021. As a result, the Board determined that remand was necessary to ensure due process and allow for consideration of this new evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE), 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
- March 1, 2022
- Citation
- 22011547
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 22011547.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was dismissed as a matter of law due to a full grant of benefits. The appeals for left knee and left ankle disabilities are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar disability and associated radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves are granted with effective dates from June 30, 2010. A 40% rating is assigned for the lumbar disability.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability, including degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity, finding moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerves.
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