The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating greater than 20 percent for lumbosacral radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and an initial rating greater than 10 percent for incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity for further development.
The deciding factor: The remand is necessary due to the need for a VA examination to determine the severity of bowel incontinence and to discount the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2025
- Citation
- 25004931
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,185 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25004931.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate disability rating of 10 percent for sciatic neuritis and 20 percent for sciatic neuralgia, but denied an increased initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for incomplete paralysis.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a rating greater than 20 percent for lumbosacral radiculopathy of the left lower extremity prior to December 24, 2015, and after April 2, 2017, was withdrawn by the Veteran. An initial 40 percent rating for incomplete paralysis of the right lower extremity sciatic nerve is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbosacral radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is granted a 20% rating, effective February 7, 2012. The Veteran's surgical scar of the lumbosacral spine is granted a 10% rating on and after September 19, 2019. The reduction in the rating for lumbosacral degenerative disc and joint disease from 20% to 10% is restored.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate, and thus remanded for further development.
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