The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional private medical records.
The deciding factor: There were pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors regarding obtaining private treatment records, which must be corrected before deciding the claims on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- functional abdominal pain syndrome, migraine headaches, left hip pain, right shoulder pain, left shoulder pain, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, right lateral epicondylitis (dominant), limitation of extension, right lateral epicondylitis (dominant), supination and pronation, degenerative disc disease (DDD) with lumbar strain, right sciatic nerve compression neuropathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, total right replacement status post degenerative joint disease (DJD), linear lateral right hip scar, ulcerative colitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2026
- Citation
- A26008470
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 A26008470.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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