The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disorder and radiculopathy, right lower extremity, to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the nature and etiology of any current back disorder and associated radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The December 2022 VA examiner's opinion was found inadequate as it failed to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms since service and relied mainly on the absence of documentation of treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder, radiculopathy, right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25034470
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 appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a low back disorder to obtain additional medical evidence and ensure that the Veteran is afforded every possible consideration.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a low back disorder was dismissed as the RO granted service connection in a November 2023 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a low back disorder to obtain additional evidence and an adequate medical opinion in compliance with previous remand instructions.
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