The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the nature and severity of his service-connected neuropathy of the lumbar nerve in the left lower extremity. The examiner will also provide opinions regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar disc disease was incurred in or related to service, and whether it is at least as likely as not that the hemilaminectomy and discectomy were performed for treatment of his service-connected neuropathy.
The deciding factor: The appeal involves a rating decision on a service-connected condition (neuropathy) and an issue regarding a temporary total rating following surgery. The issues are inextricably intertwined, requiring further development to ensure accurate assessment and evaluation of the Veteran's conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- neuropathy, lumbar nerve left lower extremity, status post left L4-L5 hemilaminectomy and discectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23024782
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 23024782.
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.
- Denied
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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