The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and lumbarization of S1, as well as service connection for right and/or left lower extremity radiculopathy, secondary to the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary to correct a predecisional duty to assist error and obtain an examination that allows for an assessment of the severity and manifestations of the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability and to address whether the Veteran has a diagnosis of radiculopathy for rating purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and lumbarization of S1 (claimed as back), Right and/or left lower extremity radiculopathy, secondary to the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25057395
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 service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
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