The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, but has remanded the issue of service connection for a neck disability due to lack of examination and medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lay statements suggest a link between her current neck disability and active service, but further evidence is needed to establish this relationship.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, Neck disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2026
- Citation
- A26005906
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 A26005906.
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 GERD, neck disability, right and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy have been granted service connection with effective dates of September 27, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine (claimed as back injury) due to inadequate VA examination and failure to comply with prior remand directives.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD and neck disability due to inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ must ensure that new and relevant evidence is considered in determining whether there was a pre-existing condition of PTSD or neck disability, and if so, whether it was aggravated by service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a separate rating for insomnia as secondary to her service-connected left foot fracture, service connection for a neck disability, and service connection for a back disability due to potential errors in the prior decisions.
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