The Board remands the claims for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain, service connection for neurologic signs and symptoms (claimed as bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy), to include as due to Gulf War illness and/or secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain, and service connection for bilateral knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain, neurologic signs and symptoms (claimed as bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy), bilateral knee disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2025
- Citation
- A25046585
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 lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's low back injury occurred during a period of active duty for training (ADT) and continued therefrom.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right leg sciatica with radiculopathy pain and paresthesia, but denied increased ratings for PTSD, lumbosacral strain, left wrist limitation of motion with ganglion cyst, and service connection for headaches, unspecified. Several issues were remanded.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a disability rating greater than 10 percent for tinnitus and a rating greater than 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, but granted a 20 percent rating for left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy.
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