Service connection for the veteran's back and right ankle disorders was denied. The Board found that these conditions were not related to the veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners opined that the current disorders were less likely than not related to the veteran's active service, and there was no competent evidence contradicting these findings.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, right ankle achilles tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25000948
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,446 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25000948.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the awards of 10 percent ratings for right and left ankle achilles tendonitis, as it was not factually ascertainable that a 10 percent rating was warranted within one year prior to September 2, 2023.
- Whole decision: Granted
The veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of right and left ankle achilles tendonitis was granted, with the effective date set to January 14, 2011.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is at least as likely as not due to his service-connected adjustment disorder with major depressive disorder associated with right knee strain and/or weight gain due to inability to exercise due to chronic pain caused by his service-connected musculoskeletal conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left ankle achilles tendonitis are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.
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