The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with cervical strain due to inadequate medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The November 2023 VA examinations relied on improper rationale, specifically failing to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset and persistence of his symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with cervical strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25037156
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · Granted: 29% (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 A25037156.
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 determined that the decision denying eligibility for PCAFC is not clear and does not provide adequate reasons or bases. The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), tension headache, left shoulder labral tear, wrist tendinitis, fibromyalgia, lumbosacral strain, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, tinnitus, TMJ capsulitis, dry eye syndrome, allergic rhinitis, scars, and psoriasis are considered. The Board has ordered remand to clarify the reason for denial and provide proper notice.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection and an increased rating of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is effective January 5, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for VR&E services to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing is remanded due to pre-decisional errors and the need for further evaluation by a VRC considering his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for CUE in an October 1974 rating decision, finding error in a February 2003 rating decision regarding PTSD and lumbosacral strain ratings, and denying entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD with psychophysiological musculoskeletal reaction and TDIU.
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.