The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left shoulder arthritis, finding no evidence that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' negative nexus opinions, based on a review of the claims file and the Veteran's history, established that the current diagnoses are not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, including parachute jumps.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine, Left shoulder arthritis with rotator cuff
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2025
- Citation
- A25047929
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,164 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25047929.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right hip, and right renal atrophy with renal insufficiency as secondary to the Veteran's left knee disability. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for instability of the left knee.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed all appeals related to service connection, increased ratings, and effective dates for various conditions due to procedural defects.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and missing service treatment records. The Veteran's low back condition is being reviewed again for proper consideration.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is denied as his condition does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.
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