The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial rating higher than 20 percent for degenerative arthritis lumbar spine, right lumbar sciatic radiculopathy, and left lumbar sciatic radiculopathy due to inadequate examination reports from February 2020.
The deciding factor: The VA examination report did not reflect an adequate evaluation of the thoracolumbar spine and contained no findings sufficient to rate the disability. The examiner also indicated that the examination was conducted after repeated use over time and during a flare-up, but this notation is not supported by the Veteran's reports or the circumstances documented in the examination report.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis lumbar spine, Right lumbar sciatic radiculopathy, Left lumbar sciatic radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26021588
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 A26021588.
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 denied a higher rating for the Veteran's low back disability and remanded issues related to right lower extremity radiculopathy and service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his lumbar spine disability was denied, and the TDIU claim was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected lumbar spine disability, and there was insufficient evidence to warrant referral for extraschedular TDIU consideration.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and bilateral radiculopathy, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As his combined rating is at least 70%, TDIU has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from October 21, 2013. The Board finds that TDIU is warranted for the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to August 31, 2021.
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