The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for Parkinson's disease and its residuals due to inadequate VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided were not sufficiently detailed to determine when the Veteran's Parkinson's disease first began to manifest, leading to a failure of VA's duty to assist.
- Claimed conditions
- Parkinson's Disease, Neurological disability of the left upper extremity, Neurological disability of the left lower extremity, Neurological disability of the right lower extremity, Neurological disability of the right upper extremity, Speech changes (right), Speech changes (left), Head tremors, Sexual dysfunction, Stooped posture of the left side, Stooped posture of the right side
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25020835
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 868 · Granted: 42% (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 A25020835.
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 Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's claim is related to his exposure at Camp Lejeune, but there are questions about whether he currently has Parkinson's Disease or Parkinsonism.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected Parkinson's Disease, but denied it based on direct causation.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the (o) rate based on his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and other conditions. He also meets the criteria for SMC at the (r)(1) level due to need for regular aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
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.