The Board denied readjudication of the previously denied claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine due to a lack of new and relevant evidence.
The deciding factor: No medical nexus opinion was presented or secured within an applicable evidentiary window since the May 2008 rating decision.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2025
- Citation
- A25111365
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 258 · Granted: 30% (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 A25111365.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and right shoulder due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings in excess of 10 percent and 20 percent for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, respectively, are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need to issue a Statement of Case.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cervical strain, left shoulder strain, left trapezius strain, degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine, generalized pain disorder, hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), acute sinusitis, and migraine headaches as the evidence did not support a nexus to service.,The Board found that there was no medical evidence showing a direct link between any of these conditions and military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and to verify his stressors related to PTSD. The VA examinations are also rescheduled.
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.