The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his back disability is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. A new VA examination will be scheduled to determine the severity of his condition, including during flare-ups.
The deciding factor: There is conflicting evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's back disability and its exacerbations.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2026
- Citation
- A26032563
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 A26032563.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are granted as service-connected due to in-service vehicle accidents.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is dismissed as moot due to the concurrent grant of service connection in a previous rating decision.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, diagnosed as lumbosacral strain, is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right hip, left hip, and back disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active-duty service. The VA medical opinion found no credible evidence that the current disabilities are related to in-service events or injuries.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve (right sciatica) was granted at a 20 percent level, while her back disability remains rated at 10 percent.
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