The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is granted as service connection due to a current diagnosis and in-service treatment records.,Service connection for depression and anxiety, also claimed as somatic symptom disorder, is remanded due to the need for a VA medical examination.
The deciding factor: New and relevant evidence has been received but no VA medical opinion was provided regarding the Veteran's mental health conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic sinusitis, depression and anxiety (also claimed as somatic symptom disorder), left foot pes planus with plantar fasciitis, plantar spur, and degenerative arthritis, right foot pes planus with plantar fasciitis, plantar spur, and degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26011681
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 A26011681.
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 has denied service connection for chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and chronic fatigue syndrome as there is no evidence of a current disability in the record.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for chronic sinusitis and remanded the claim for a lumbar spine disability due to insufficient evidence.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their claims for service connection for chronic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis, thus the appeal is dismissed.
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