The Board remands the claim for service connection of lumbar spondylosis to obtain a supplemental medical opinion addressing whether the condition was aggravated beyond its natural progression by military service or service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The February and April 2022 VA opinions did not address whether the Veteran's military service or his service-connected disabilities aggravated his lumbar spondylosis beyond its natural progression, which is required under Wagner v. Principi.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spondylosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25026223
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities, while severe, do not render him unable to obtain or maintain a gainful occupation.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, hypothyroidism, prostate cancer, sleep apnea secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, tinea pedis, and lumbar spondylosis.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 1, 2018, for the award of service connection for radiculopathy, right lower extremity, was granted. The appeal for an earlier effective date for TDIU was dismissed as moot.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease, degenerative arthritis, and lumbar spondylosis based on the evidence of record.
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