The Board remands the claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain due to an inadequate VA examination.
The deciding factor: The September 2017 VA examination was found inadequate as it did not comply with Correia and had inconsistencies regarding the impact of repetitive use or flare-ups on functional ability.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2025
- Citation
- A25018295
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (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 A25018295.
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 lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain is rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded for further development. The issues of service connection for various other disabilities remain pending.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at a 20 percent rating from March 23, 2015 to May 20, 2019 and from November 12, 2019 to May 24, 2021. A higher rating is not warranted for any period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for bilateral shin splints, lumbar spine disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been denied due to lack of current diagnosis.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than December 16, 2015, for the grant of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy are also denied as there is no evidence that he filed such claims prior to this date.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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.