The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected lumbar strain, service connection for cervical spine disability, and various nerve disabilities. The Veteran will need to undergo new VA examinations to assess his current condition and provide opinions on the nature and etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing evidence is insufficient to determine the severity of the Veteran's lumbar strain and cervical spine disability, as well as their relationship to service. Therefore, additional medical examination is needed to address these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain, cervical spondylosis with degenerative joint disease (cervical spine disability), left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity external cutaneous nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity external cutaneous nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 29, 2023
- Citation
- 23019394
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 23019394.
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 granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis. The claims for back pain and right upper extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence for a schedular rating, and the issues are inextricably intertwined.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking to establish entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) is dismissed because the AOJ decision was merely implementing a Board's earlier effective date decision for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there are pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, and thus remands the case to obtain addendum medical opinions.
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