The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The issues of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a left ankle sprain, bilateral knee conditions, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are being reviewed.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in the July 2024 decisions regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection. The VA examinations of record were inadequate to evaluate the etiology of the Veteran's left ankle, bilateral knee conditions, and GERD.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a left ankle sprain, left knee condition, right knee condition, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26001385
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 A26001385.
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 service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic lower back pain, right knee pain, left knee pain, neck pain, and GERD.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
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