The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for a back disability and for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity due to procedural errors. The Veteran needs to be provided with adequate VA examinations to evaluate his disabilities, including consideration of the ameliorative effects of pain medication.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the pre-decisional duty to assist error was related to inadequate evaluations for the Veteran's back and radiculopathy disabilities due to lack of proper examination and consideration of flare-ups and repetitive use over time.
- Claimed conditions
- Back disability, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26019725
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 A26019725.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a back disability due to incomplete service records and failure to consider all available evidence, including in-service treatment records from F.E. Warren Air Force Base.
- Granted
The Veteran's rating for residuals status post lumbar fusion was reduced from 40 percent to 20 percent effective October 25, 2023. The reduction was granted as there was no evidence of actual improvement in the Veteran's condition prior to this date.
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