The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the neck and back to obtain a new VA examination and opinion addressing whether these disabilities are related to the Veteran's service.
The deciding factor: Remand is required due to insufficient evidence in the record, specifically regarding the etiology of the Veteran's degenerative joint diseases of the neck and back.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the back, Degenerative joint disease of the neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2025
- Citation
- 25004224
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,858 · Granted: 24% (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 25004224.
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 Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the neck, back, left upper arm joint, left knee, and right knee. The VA examiners found no evidence of in-service injury or illness that caused these conditions.,There is no medical record showing any chronic condition related to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the back and right shoulder did not manifest during service or within one year after separation, nor is it causally related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the back, elbows, and shoulders as it was not shown to be due to any incident or event in active service, nor can it be presumed to have been incurred in service.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's arthritic disorders are not related to active service and denied his claim for service connection.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.