The Board remands the claims for service connection for various joint disabilities, including arthritis, to obtain additional evidence and a more thorough examination.
The deciding factor: The February 2024 VA examiner's opinion did not provide sufficient evidence to support a claim of lumbar osteoporosis with degenerative arthritis, and no medical or scientific evidence supports a relationship between the Veteran's back disabilities and toxic exposure. However, pain alone can qualify as a disability if it reaches the level of a functional impairment of earning capacity.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar spine disability, to include arthritis (claimed as back pain), Right shoulder disability, to include arthritis (claimed as shoulder pain), Left shoulder disability, to include arthritis (claimed as shoulder pain), Right wrist disability, to include arthritis (claimed as wrist pain), Left wrist disability, to include arthritis (claimed as wrist pain), Right hand disability, to include arthritis (claimed as hand pain), Left hand disability, to include arthritis (claimed as hand pain), Right hip disability, to include arthritis, Left hip disability, to include arthritis (claimed as hip pain), Right knee disability, to include arthritis (claimed as knee pain), Left knee disability, to include arthritis (claimed as knee pain), Right ankle disability, to include arthritis (claimed as ankle pain)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 3, 2025
- Citation
- 25008775
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 chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Denied
The veteran's bad conduct discharge precludes eligibility for VA benefits, including compensation and healthcare.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for osteoarthritis of the right hand and service connection for a left shoulder disability.
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