The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than May 13, 2021, for various service-connected conditions including coccydynia and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies. The issues are intertwined with the earlier effective date claim for coccydynia.
The deciding factor: The pre-decisional duty to assist error occurred when the AOJ processed the August 2020 claim as a service connection claim instead of an increased rating claim, leading to errors in assigning any effective dates.
- Claimed conditions
- coccydynia, left lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the femoral nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the femoral nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2022
- Citation
- A22023362
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A22023362.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and right lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve, effective January 12, 2024. Attorney fees are eligible based on past due benefits awarded in this decision.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of increased disability ratings and TDIU, including consideration of new private medical records.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the femoral nerve as secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease.
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