The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher evaluations for DDD of the lumbar spine, RLE and LLE radiculopathy. The case requires additional development to address functional loss due to pain and medication effects.
The deciding factor: The Court found that the Board improperly considered the ameliorative effects of pain medication on the Veteran's service-connected conditions in denying higher evaluations.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy of the Sciatic Nerve, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy of the Sciatic Nerve, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy of the Femoral Nerve, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy of the External Cutaneous Nerve of the Thigh, Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy of the External Cutaneous Nerve of the Thigh
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2024
- Citation
- 24034315
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 24034315.
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 is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine. The current VA opinions are deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injury and continuous symptomatology since service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Granted
PTSD rated at 50% effective January 21, 2020.,Right sciatic nerve and left sciatic nerve each rated at 10% prior to December 1, 2022. Both are now rated at 20% from December 1, 2022.,Radiculopathy of the right femoral nerve rated at 20% from December 1, 2022; radiculopathy of the left femoral nerve also rated at 20% from December 1, 2022.
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