The Board remands the claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity prior to September 6, 2023, as a medical opinion is necessary to determine the severity of the Veteran's condition.
The deciding factor: A medical opinion is required to assess the nature and severity of the Veteran's lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity prior to September 6, 2023, due to insufficient evidence in the record.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2025
- Citation
- 25005685
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple spinal conditions and a right foot disorder, effective from the date of the September 2024 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a neck disability, back disability, and bilateral lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy based on the Veteran's in-service motor vehicle accidents.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, lumbar radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. It also granted initial ratings for various disabilities including a 20 percent rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, spondylosis, and spondylolisthesis, a 30 percent rating for labral tear, including superior labral anterior-posterior lesion, status post surgical repair, and higher ratings for other conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for lumbar radiculopathy of both the left and right lower extremities, as the evidence supports moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve.
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