The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to confirm diagnoses and determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed lumbar spine disorder with radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.
The deciding factor: The March 2016 examiner did not provide an adequate opinion regarding the onset or relationship of the Veteran's diagnosed conditions to service, particularly her May 1998 line-of-duty injury.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral spine disorder, radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2023
- Citation
- 23021685
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 23021685.
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 determined that there were duty to assist errors for the issues on appeal and remanded the case. The Veteran is required to report for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his diabetes mellitus, lumbosacral spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and left ankle disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection. The underlying merits of the claims must be addressed by the AOJ in the first instance, including any additional development that may be warranted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disorder, lumbosacral spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, and right hip disorder with associated right lower extremity radiculopathy. The issues are being remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and lumbosacral spine disorder have been granted service connection, with the Board finding that these conditions are directly related to his active duty service.
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