The claims for initial evaluations of various disabilities are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The January 2024 VA examination reports do not comply with the requirements in Correia and Sharp, necessitating new examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- spinal stenosis with IVDS (back disability), left lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the femoral nerve, foraminal stenosis and IVDS of the cervical spine (neck disability), mild incomplete paralysis of the left radial nerve, bipartite patella of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2025
- Citation
- 25004565
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
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's left and right lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve, finding that evaluations in excess of 10 percent were not warranted.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of August 23, 2016, for the award of service connection and a separate 10 percent rating for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerves.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for the Veteran's disabilities and ancillary compensation benefits, finding that August 8, 2023, was correctly assigned as the effective date.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension under the PACT Act and increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
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