The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring updated VA records.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records that are within the control of VA and necessary for the pending claims related to diagnosis, etiology, and evaluation of the disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD) other than intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with spinal stenosis and degenerative arthritis, DDD history of compression fracture L1-2 and IVDS, right upper extremity (RUE) radicular group, genitourinary (GU) disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25095734
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (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 A25095734.
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 residuals of a cerebrovascular accident, genitourinary disorder, bilateral hearing loss, left eye disorder, and right eye disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for a genitourinary disorder, low back disorder, and pseudofolliculitis due to lack of current disability. The appeal is remanded for additional development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions including DM, prostate cancer, hypertension, CV disorder, PN of the upper and lower extremities, GU disorder, and skin disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to a stay regarding naval service and presumed herbicide exposure. The issues of service connection for DM and CV disorder are impacted by the Federal Circuit's decision in Procopio v. Wilkie, which expanded the definition of 'service in the Republic of Vietnam' to include the territorial sea.
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.