The Board remands the case to obtain a VA opinion that properly addresses both prongs of secondary service connection for the Veteran's lower back condition.
The deciding factor: The VA opinions provided are inadequate as they failed to address the aggravation prong of secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25035489
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 service connection for a right leg condition, sinusitis, lower back condition, and joint pain as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral pes planus (flat feet), bilateral ankle condition, bilateral knee condition, and lower back condition as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 3, 2022, for the awards of service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, and lower back condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a left hip condition, lower back condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and right hip condition based on new and relevant evidence. The Board also granted service connection for left hip pain with left lower extremity radiculopathy and right hip pain with right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the service-connected lower back condition.
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