The appeal for service connection of a lumbar disc condition is remanded. The VA needs to obtain more records.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ did not adequately obtain the Veteran's complete personnel and service treatment records, which are crucial for determining service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25001463
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 869 · Granted: 29% (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 A25001463.
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 new and relevant evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc and cervical spinal stenosis. The claims are being remanded for further adjudication.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc and bilateral radiculopathy lower extremity sciatic nerve require further development due to a duty-to-assist error in the initial examination.
- Granted
Service connection for a lumbar spine disability currently diagnosed as degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, lumbar spondylosis, and degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc is granted.,Service connection for fibromyalgia is granted. Effective October 30, 2015, a rating of 50 percent, but no higher, for tension headaches is granted.,Effective October 30, 2015, the effective date for service connection for TMJ (claimed as right jaw) is set at July 13, 2004. A TDIU is also granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion in a previous VA examination. The Veteran's low back disability is related to his service, including an accident during active duty.
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.