The Board remands the claim for a low back condition to obtain an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have aggravated his low back disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an adequate opinion on aggravation, which is required under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310(b).
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (claimed as lower back condition)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2025
- Citation
- A25028499
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (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 A25028499.
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 for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and lumbosacral strain has been dismissed due to non-compliance with the claims processing rules.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome is remanded as there are procedural issues related to the VA examinations conducted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, and will require a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's lower back condition is related to his active duty service or secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection for lumbosacral strain, left shoulder condition, and right knee condition was dismissed due to a late filing of the Board Appeal request.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted an effective date of August 3, 2016 for a 40 percent rating for his lumbosacral strain (claimed as lower back condition). The earlier effective date was determined due to the inadequacy of the June 2018 VA examination results.
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.