The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for a lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, which are claimed as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion addressing whether these disabilities were incurred during service or due to in-service injury/illness, caused by her service-connected left knee disability, and if so, what the baseline level of disability was prior to aggravation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the May 2018 VA spine examination is inadequate as it did not consider whether the disabilities were aggravated beyond their natural progression by the Veteran's service-connected knee disability. The examiner also stated that the Veteran's radicular symptoms are secondary to her lumbar spine disability, which contradicts the Veteran's testimony at the hearing.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2022
- Citation
- 22060346
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 22060346.
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, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as these issues have been addressed in a separate docket.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. Service connection is being remanded for the lumbar spine disability and right knee and calf disabilities.
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