The Board has identified several duty-to-assist errors and is remanding the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records, lack of proper notification, and inadequate examinations.
The deciding factor: There are gaps in the Veteran's medical history that need to be filled through additional VA and private medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headache disability, deviated septum, right shoulder disability, right shoulder scar, left ankle disability (secondary to service-connected right ankle disability), right hand carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist disability), left hand carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist disability), right wrist scar, right knee disability, left knee disability, right foot/toe disability, right hip disability, right lower extremity sciatica
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2026
- Citation
- A26012627
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 A26012627.
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's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
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