The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity disabilities and neuropathy due to inadequate VA examinations and opinions. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA examiners' opinions were inadequately focused on whether the Veteran's leg pain in service caused her current disabilities, and did not adequately address the Veteran's lay statements about knee problems during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Lower Extremity Arthritis, Right Lower Extremity Arthritis, Left Lower Extremity Neuropathy, Right Lower Extremity Neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2026
- Citation
- 26000517
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 26000517.
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 remands the claims for service connection due to new and relevant evidence having been received since a previous denial.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the claims for left and right lower extremity neuropathy and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain, post-discectomy.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD, sinus headaches, right and left lower extremity neuropathy, pseudofolliculitis barbae of the skin, and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and anxiety) was denied.
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