The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder condition due to errors in duty to assist and inadequate statement of reasons or bases. The AOJ is required to obtain all relevant medical records, including those from military service and private providers, and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ failed to adequately assist the Veteran in obtaining his complete service treatment and medical records, particularly those related to Reserve service. The AOJ also did not provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases regarding the credibility of the Veteran's reports of an in-service injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26000370
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 A26000370.
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 has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder condition or neck condition, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied. The claims of service connection for a neck condition as secondary to a service-connected right wrist condition and for bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and potential gaps in documented medical treatment.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder condition, finding it directly related to the Veteran's military service. The effective date is October 24, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for a right shoulder condition due to insufficient evidence and the need for a VA examination.
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