The Board remands the claims for further development and to address whether right lower extremity radicopathy was properly before the Board, and if so, adjudicate the claim.
The deciding factor: The Board found an inadequate statement of reasons and bases in its previous decision due to unaddressed radiculopathies and inextricably intertwined claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), Left lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve), Right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2025
- Citation
- 25005814
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 initial ratings of 40 percent for lumbar spine disorder, 70 percent for major depressive disorder, and 40 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy. TDIU and SMC based on housebound status were also granted.
- Denied
The Board denied higher disability ratings for the veteran's low back and lower extremity radiculopathies, pseudofolliculitis barbae, pes planus and plantar fasciitis, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of January 21, 2022, for the award of service connection for PTSD and a rating of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) effective December 20, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
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