The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for headaches, painful surgical scar, left chest, hypertension, left elbow degenerative joint disease, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome due to incomplete VA treatment records.,No effective date earlier than specified dates was granted as there is no probative evidence showing the conditions had their onset during service or are otherwise related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's headaches, painful surgical scar, left chest, hypertension, left elbow degenerative joint disease, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome were not shown to have their onset during service or be related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, painful surgical scar, left chest, hypertension, left elbow degenerative joint disease, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 24, 2026
- Citation
- 26002506
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 26002506.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
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