The Board denied service connection for temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) and remanded the claims for hysterectomy, gynecological adhesions, recurrent urinary tract infections, bilateral knee disabilities, plantar fasciitis, hammertoes, hallux valgus, lumbar spine disability, lower extremity sciatica, and dermatitis due to a duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: The January 2023 examinations and medical opinions did not address the relationship between the claimed disabilities and the Veteran's service connected disabilities, making them inadequate for decision-making purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), hysterectomy, gynecological adhesions, history of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, left foot hammertoes, right foot hallux valgus, lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity sciatica, right lower extremity sciatica, dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25010053
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · 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 A25010053.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the July 2012 VA examination for the Veteran's left knee disability, and a new addendum opinion is needed.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
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