The Veteran's petition to readjudicate the claims for service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy and left upper extremity radiculopathy as secondary to a neck disorder is granted.,The Veteran's petition to readjudicate the claim of service connection for a back disorder as secondary to service-connected right tibia stress fracture with shin splints and left knee status post arthroscopy debridement and MACI sampling is granted.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted by the Veteran, including an April 2020 private medical opinion from Dr. M.L., was found to be relevant as it tends to prove or disprove a matter at issue within his claim of service connection for right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.,The VA back examiner's October 2019 opinion was deemed inadequate due to its conclusory nature, without providing an explanatory rationale. A new VA medical opinion is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's back disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, back disorder, neck disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2026
- Citation
- A26008713
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 A26008713.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
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The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip and lower extremity disorders, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, back disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a failure to provide notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
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