The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to June 9, 2020 for lumbar strain and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient medical evidence regarding flare-ups and medication effects.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the VA examiner did not adequately address the Veteran's lay testimony regarding flare-ups and medications used by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic 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
- June 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25053089
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 granted a separate 10 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) effective from August 14, 2013, but denied higher initial ratings for the sciatic nerve.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for dermatochalasis, meibomian gland dysfunction, and blepharitis. The claims for lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), right shoulder tendinopathy, diabetes, and prostate cancer with urinary incontinence status-post prostatectomy were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an increased initial rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), finding that his symptoms were no worse than mild incomplete paralysis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development, including obtaining new medical opinions and examination reports to address the issues of service connection and increased ratings.
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