The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and regulatory or statutory duties, specifically for a VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the gastrointestinal disability, including cecal mass.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on prior errors in duty to assist and regulatory requirements that necessitate further investigation into the Veteran's exposure history and its relation to his current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- colon condition, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), functional gastrointestinal condition
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26012516
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 A26012516.
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 Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a colon condition, including as caused by herbicide agent exposure or secondary to his service-connected disabilities, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection on any basis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and colon condition are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ must obtain new or addendum opinions from qualified clinicians, including possibly a GI specialist, to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, obstructive sleep apnea, IBS, diabetic nephropathy, and erectile dysfunction was granted with an effective date of November 14, 2022. The award also includes SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD was granted with an effective date of October 29, 2024. This decision also grants the Veteran a 70 percent rating for PTSD from October 27, 2021.
- Dismissed
Your appeals have been dismissed because the VA Form 10182, Decision Review Request: Board Appeal (Notice of Disagreement), was not timely filed within one year from the date of the rating decisions.
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