The Board remands the claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected hemorrhoids with pruritus ani to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in failing to afford the Veteran an adequate VA examination and assist in obtaining a complete record of treatment reports related to the disability.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the VA examinations of record are inadequate, as they were not based upon an accurate medical record and history and failed to consider the private medical treatment notes related to the instant claim.
- Claimed conditions
- hemorrhoids with pruritus ani
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25055604
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.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, with the exception of a 10 percent rating for right Achilles tendon rupture.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in actual loss of use of the lower extremities, thus granting eligibility for financial assistance to purchase an automobile or other conveyance.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for higher ratings for knee conditions and hemorrhoids were denied. However, the veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). Claims for service connection for an enlarged heart were denied, while claims for benign prostatic hypertrophy and erectile dysfunction were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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