The Veteran's LLE radiculopathy claim has been granted with increased ratings. The psychiatric disorder claim is remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The psychiatric disorder claim requires a new VA examination to reconcile the conflicting diagnoses and assess etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include PTSD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23055531
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 23055531.
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 Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition, without considering the ameliorative effects of any medication he uses.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted a 30 percent disability rating since November 29, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is likely due to his service-connected lumbar spine and radiculopathy conditions, with tramadol use possibly causing the condition by October 25, 2012. The effective date for ED will be remanded.,Due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the issues, including the need to determine if tramadol caused ED prior to August 30, 2013, the SMC issue is also remanded.
- Granted
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