The Board has determined that there are pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in this case and a VA medical opinion is required on remand to address the Veteran's claims for GERD, IBS, right knee disability, left knee disability, low back disability, and sinusitis.,Specifically, the Board finds that the current evidence does not support service connection for any of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence is insufficient to establish a link between the Veteran's current diagnoses (GERD, IBS, knee disabilities, low back disability, and sinusitis) and his military service. The Board finds that there are pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in this case.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Right knee disability, Left knee disability, Low back disability, Sinusitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26009731
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 A26009731.
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 the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
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