The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and evidence.
The deciding factor: Remand is required to obtain additional opinions as to the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine condition and to address whether his service-connected disabilities have caused or aggravated it.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine condition, left hip degenerative arthritis with limitation of flexion, left hip degenerative arthritis with limitation of abduction, right hip degenerative arthritis with limitation of flexion, right hip degenerative arthritis with limitation of adduction, right knee disability (patellofemoral syndrome with osteoarthritis), gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD), right ankle strain with tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25023533
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 tinnitus, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The claims for a cervical spine condition and lumbar spine condition were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, cervical and thoracic spine disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbar spine condition, erectile dysfunction, and special monthly compensation based on loss of use to allow the AOJ to correct duty-to-assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, lumbar spine condition, and urinary frequency and voiding condition as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including OSA, cervical spine condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, and others, but dismissed appeals for obesity, TMJ, insomnia, left elbow, and right elbow. The Board also denied an earlier effective date for a 70% rating for acquired psychiatric disorder.
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