The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error by failing to obtain medical records from the Veteran's private primary care providers, Dr. Richard Brand, Dr. Buckingham and Dr. Christoper.
The deciding factor: The AOJ did not obtain all of the Veteran's medical records prior to making its decision on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- kidney disorder, chronic kidney disease (CKD), cancer of kidney parenchyma, renal cyst status-post laparoscopy and partial nephrectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26010031
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 A26010031.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new evidence has been received to reconsider the claims for service connection for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic kidney disease (CKD) with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is denied as the earliest effective date possible is August 2, 2024. The PACT Act did not establish CKD as a presumptive disease relating to herbicide agent exposure and MGUS was diagnosed after the liberalizing law.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from maintaining employment in the construction industry, and he was able to work with accommodations such as sedentary work and frequent breaks. The Board denied his claim for a TDIU.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder is dismissed, and the effective date of his service connection is set at March 29, 2018.
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