The Board remands all claims for new VA medical opinions in accordance with the holding in Spicer v. McDonough, which addresses the correct legal standards for secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA opinions in the record did not address the correct legal standards and the holding in Spicer v. McDonough, as they used an outdated standard for secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disorder, cervical spine disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, left knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25041102
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and bilateral cataracts of the eyes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type II, migraines, left and right knee disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea due to missing military records and inadequate examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for an increased rating for the left shoulder disorder, service connection for a cervical spine disorder, service connection for a right arm disorder, and service connection for a left arm disorder.
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