The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to obtain private treatment records. The Veteran's right hip, knee, shoulder disabilities are being reviewed again with new medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA examiners' opinions were insufficient and lacked sufficient reasoning, particularly regarding the etiology of the Veteran's disabilities and whether they are related to service-connected conditions or other factors. The AOJ is directed to obtain additional private treatment records and provide new examination opinions addressing these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease, IVDS and lumbar radiculopathy (low back disability), Right hip degenerative arthritis (right hip disability), Right knee meniscal tear, anterior cruciate ligament tear, patellar or quadriceps tendon rupture, instability and degenerative arthritis (right knee disability), Right shoulder arthroscopic debridement (right shoulder disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26006758
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 A26006758.
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.
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- Denied
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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