The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left elbow limitation of extension and painful supination due to a duty to assist error in prior examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA examination was inadequate as it did not specifically opine whether the impairment caused by flare-ups is functionally analogous to ankylosis, which is required for rating purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- left elbow fracture, osteoarthritis (limitation of extension), osteoarthritis (painful supination)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2026
- Citation
- A26012589
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 A26012589.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's plantar fasciitis is rated at 30 percent effective July 24, 2024. The Veteran's residuals of a left elbow fracture are not entitled to an increased disability rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for a right eye disability, including corneal abrasions, is granted. The claims for left elbow disability and tinea pedis are denied.
- Dismissed
The claims of service connection for left hip fracture, left femur shaft fracture, left tibial plateau fracture, and left elbow fracture are dismissed as the Veteran did not properly initiate an appeal.,The claim of service connection for brain disease due to trauma (postconcussion syndrome with tinnitus, headaches, and history of ear injury) is dismissed because it was related to willful misconduct.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increase in the rating for PTSD, left elbow fracture, and post-concussive headaches at a June 2022 video conference hearing.
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