The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left hip disabilities and DLE to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as no VA examination or medical opinions had been obtained regarding whether there was a nexus between the Veteran's current hip disabilities and his claimed in-service injuries.
The deciding factor: The statements made by the Veteran constitute new and relevant evidence received after the January 2020 rating decision, indicating an event, disease, or injury in service regarding his hips and DLE. As such, readjudication of these claims is warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), left hip disability (diagnosed as avascular necrosis with degenerative joint disease), right hip disability (diagnosed as avascular necrosis with degenerative joint disease)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25098482
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · Granted: 26% (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 A25098482.
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 remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for a new VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's DLE.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability and for TDIU due to inadequate VA examinations. A new examination is needed, and the issue of TDIU may be impacted by the outcome of the lumbar spine claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
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