The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in failing to exhaust all efforts to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records.
The deciding factor: VA did not fully discharge its duty to make reasonable efforts to obtain the Veteran's STRs prior to the appealed rating decision, which is a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Claimed conditions
- Displaced left pinky finger, Gout, left foot, Left knee condition, Right knee condition, Scar, right eye
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25058372
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the service connection claims for vertigo, dry eye syndrome, and various bilateral conditions due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right hand tremors, left hand tremors, gout, and chronic kidney disease to obtain outstanding VA treatment records and provide a medical examination.
- Dismissed
The Board denied the veteran's appeals for service connection due to untimely filings.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD and denied an earlier effective date. The claims for service connection for various conditions were remanded.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.