The Board remands the claim for an adequate addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability aggravates his bilateral hip disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's previous opinion was found to be inadequate as it did not adequately address secondary causation and aggravation, particularly regarding the potential impact of back pain and radiculopathy on the hips.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hip disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2025
- Citation
- 25007161
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 granted service connection for asthma and remanded the claims for sinus disability, bilateral hip disability, right shoulder disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, skin disability, back disability, bilateral neurological disability of the upper extremities, and bilateral neurological disability of the lower extremities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for headaches, a bilateral wrist disability, a bilateral hip disability, facial scars, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for right ankle sprain.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left shoulder, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The appeal was also granted to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral hip disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, lumbar spine disability, bilateral hip disability, and left knee disability on a direct basis. The Board also granted an initial rating of 10 percent for transient ischemic attack residuals but denied a compensable rating for hypertension.
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