The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for low back disorder and radiculopathy of the lower extremities are remanded due to conflicting range of motion findings and inconsistent diagnoses.
The deciding factor: There is conflicting evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's radiculopathy, which requires clarification through an addendum opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine (low back disorder), Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (LLE) of the femoral nerve, Radiculopathy of the LLE of the sciatic nerve, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE) of the femoral nerve, Radiculopathy of the RLE of the sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2024
- Citation
- A24086261
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 A24086261.
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 remands the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, a compensable rating for sinusitis, and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss to obtain additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a low back disorder, sinusitis, and left ear hearing loss as there has not been substantial compliance with the mandates of the previous remand order.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection regarding his low back disorder and bilateral knee disorders must be remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA will schedule the Veteran for examinations or medical opinions to determine if his current conditions are related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disorder and headaches have been granted increased ratings, with the low back disorder receiving a 40 percent rating effective December 10, 2009. The headaches received a 10 percent rating prior to September 24, 2009, and a 30 percent rating from that date.
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