The Board remands the claims for a retrospective opinion and an examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's radiculopathy during the period on appeal, as well as whether the Veteran has a permanent need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The December 2018 VA examiner's credentials were not obtained, leading to an inadequate examination. A retrospective opinion is needed to determine the severity of the radiculopathy during the period on appeal, and an examination is required to assess the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25098715
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