The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date and remanded service connection claims for radiculopathy affecting the femoral nerve in both lower extremities.
The deciding factor: The amendment to 38 C.F.R. § 4.26(d) was not applicable prior to its effective date of April 16, 2023, and there is insufficient evidence to establish service connection for radiculopathy affecting the femoral nerve in either lower extremity.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis with IVDS and spinal stenosis, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25088597
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25088597.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and disc bulge, right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), and right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) have been denied.,The Veteran's back disability is rated at 10 percent due to limitations in range of motion. The claim for an increased rating was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy conditions, including during flare-ups and after repetitive use over time.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development to ensure that the severity of the Veteran's low back and radiculopathy symptoms is accurately assessed, considering any ameliorative effects of medication.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hypertension did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and several claims were remanded for further development.
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