The Board remands the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for a temporomandibular disability, an initial disability rating in excess of 40 percent for grade 1 spondylolisthesis with degenerative joint disease, and entitlement to service connection for a bilateral arm disorder and a chronic ear disorder due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
The deciding factor: The examinations were inadequate as they did not address flare-ups or the severity of symptoms absent medication, and the opinions provided did not adequately discuss the etiology of the claimed disorders in relation to service or other disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral arm disorder, chronic ear disorder, grade 1 spondylolisthesis with degenerative joint disease, temporomandibular disability, also referred to as bruxism
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25107069
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,113 · Granted: 47% (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 A25107069.
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 determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and incomplete medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a chronic ear disorder, including eustachian tube dysfunction, as there was no evidence of current disability or functional impairment.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of all claims.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral deafness, a bilateral hip disorder, a neck disorder, a bilateral shoulder disorder, a back disorder, a bilateral knee disorder, a bilateral ankle disorder, a bilateral arm disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral hands, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder), hypertensive cardiovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, a bilateral elbow disorder, and a bilateral foot disorder were not caused by or related to his active duty service.,The Veteran's claimed conditions did not manifest within one year after separation from service.
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