The Board remands the issues of an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for a back disability, and separate compensable ratings for right and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy prior to August 12, 2018, due to inadequate medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The July 2023 VA examination was found inadequate as it did not provide a narrative explanation for the findings regarding flare-ups or repeated use over time. Additionally, the Board must assess favorable evidence from an April 2011 private treatment record that reported intermittent numbness/tingling in the Veteran's left leg and arm.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain and bilateral sacroiliac joint strain with mild thoracic spondylosis and spurring (back disability), right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2025
- Citation
- 25012435
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 868 · Granted: 42% (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 25012435.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is granted with an effective date of July 25, 2023.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is dismissed as it does not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for traumatic brain injury with migraine headaches and denied service connection for cervical strain, left knee strain, and left ankle deltoid ligament sprain. The remaining claims have been granted or are pending further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy disabilities were granted initial disability ratings of 40 percent, but no higher. The criteria for entitlement to these ratings have been met.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are granted effective from August 4, 2023.
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