The Board remands the claim for an initial disability rating higher than 20 percent for radiculopathy of sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity to obtain outstanding VA treatment records and a new VA examination.
The deciding factor: Remand is required due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and an inadequate October 2022 VA examination, as per the Joint Motion for Partial Remand.
- Claimed conditions
- radiculopathy of 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 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25035443
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 denied increased ratings for cervical spondylosis and stenosis with IVDS, lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and IVDS, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, radiculopathy of sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of femoral nerve of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the external cutaneous nerve of the thigh of both lower extremities. However, a 40 percent rating was granted for radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity and a 30 percent rating was granted for radiculopathy of the femoral nerve of the left lower extremity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the veteran's claims for special monthly compensation and increased ratings for several conditions due to missing medical records.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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