The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for mechanical low back pain and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease L3-4, as well as service connection claims for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, due to insufficient evidence regarding the impact of medication on disability symptoms and inadequate medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation separately.
The deciding factor: The remand is necessary because the pre-decisional medical evidence does not adequately address the Veteran's condition without the beneficial effects of his medication, and there are no separate findings for causation and aggravation in the existing medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Mechanical low back pain and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease L3-4, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2025
- Citation
- A25085805
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 964 · Granted: 37% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25085805.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy was evaluated at a 20 percent rating, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease prior to August 1, 2025 was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to March 10, 2025 were denied as there is no neurological impairment associated with these conditions.
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