The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased rating due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided were found inadequate as they relied on the absence of evidence in the service treatment records without considering the Veteran's lay statements or providing a thorough medical explanation.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical conditions to include muscle spasms and locking, left shoulder condition to include bursitis and cuff rotators difficulties, right shoulder condition to include bursitis and cuff rotators difficulties, right hip degenerative arthritis, degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease other than IVDS, IVDS, and spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25052183
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left hip degenerative arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right ankle and knee conditions, and major depressive disorder as secondary to his service-connected knee and ankle conditions. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, bilateral hip conditions and entitlement to specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant as there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated during his period of ACDUTRA.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection regarding right hip degenerative arthritis before a decision was made.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, left ankle disorder, and right ankle disorder. The claims for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left hip degenerative arthritis, right hip degenerative arthritis, respiratory infection, and chronic sinusitis were remanded for further development.
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