The Board has denied service connection for degenerative joint disease/arthritis cervical spine (neck) due to a lack of evidence showing the Veteran had this condition during or within one year after his military service.,The Board has remanded the claims for appendicitis, bilateral shoulder pain, and hemorrhoids as there is insufficient medical evidence to determine if these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence showing a current diagnosis of degenerative joint disease/arthritis cervical spine (neck) within the pendency of the claim.,The claims for appendicitis, bilateral shoulder pain, and hemorrhoids have insufficient medical evidence to determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease/arthritis cervical spine (neck), Appendicitis, Left shoulder pain, Right shoulder pain, Hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26011411
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 A26011411.
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 withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation of his hemorrhoids, so the case is dismissed.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for her service-connected hemorrhoids was denied as the evidence did not show large or thrombotic, irreducible hemorrhoids with excessive redundant tissue, evidencing frequent recurrence.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted higher levels of SMC and aid and attendance special monthly compensation effective May 3, 2024, due to his service-connected conditions that require regular aid and assistance.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hemorrhoids and a separate rating of 10 percent for pruritus ani is partially granted. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable code, including revised Diagnostic Code 7336.
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