The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for further development. The current ratings for his lumbar spine conditions are denied, while he is granted a separate rating for right lumbar radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support higher ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine conditions based on the current functional impairment and lack of ankylosis or other severe manifestations. The claims for service connection have been remanded as additional information is needed to determine if there are any relevant exposures or diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- IVDS with lumbosacral strain, Left lumbar radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve, Right lumbar radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 2, 2023
- Citation
- 23042356
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 23042356.
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 Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability was denied, but he received an increased rating of 40 percent effective January 4, 2021.,He also received separate ratings of 20 percent for right and left lumbar radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve and femoral nerve, respectively.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for IVDS with lumbosacral strain was denied. The Board found that the current schedular ratings adequately reflected his disability.
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