The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's back condition, including degenerative disc disease L5 to S1, sacralization on the left side L5, pseudarthrosis, a lower back strain, muscle spasms, sclerosis across the synchondrosis, or pseudoarticulation at L5-S1 on the left side is being evaluated again for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examination was inadequate and missing records need to be obtained to properly assess the Veteran's claim.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease L5 to S1, sacralization on the left side L5, pseudarthrosis, lower back strain, muscle spasms, sclerosis across the synchondrosis, pseudoarticulation at L5-S1 on the left side
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2025
- Citation
- 25000971
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · 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 25000971.
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 tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is denied as not meeting VA criteria for a disability.,The Veteran's left ACL tear, right ankle sprain, lower back strain, and right shoulder strain are all denied as not meeting VA criteria for a disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's right hip pain, muscle spasms, Bell's palsy, trouble breathing, and shaving profile/skin condition are all granted service connection. However, the claims for muscle spasms, Bell's palsy, trouble breathing, and shaving profile/skin condition were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to insufficient evidence in the March 2025 decision. The Board requires a medical opinion from CEAT regarding the Veteran's need for personal care services and supervision.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hammer toe, left hammer toe, lower back strain, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses of these conditions during the pendency of the claim or approximate to its initiation.
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