The Board remands the claim for service connection of degenerative disc disease to request a medical opinion on whether it is related to an injury sustained during inactive duty for training in 2017.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the need for a direct medical opinion regarding the etiology of the current low back disability in relation to the November 2017 back injury incurred during a drill weekend.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease (low back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2025
- Citation
- A25100627
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 A25100627.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, low back disability, neck disability, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, and dermatitis, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective the date after his last day of work.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, right and left knee conditions, a low back disability, and right and left hip pain due to lack of evidence linking these disabilities to her military service or any service-connected condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, a stomach disability to include gastroesophageal reflux disease, and a low back disability. The Board found that diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of chronicity after service. The current stomach disability and low back disability are also not shown to be related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, stomach disability, and low back disability due to additional development being needed.
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