The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, bilateral elbow and knee disorders, headaches (including migraines), and visual impairment are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.
The deciding factor: The claims were remanded because VA did not provide adequate medical examinations or obtain relevant Federal records that could help determine the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, left foot disorder, right foot disorder, headaches (including migraines), vision disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2026
- Citation
- A26012927
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 A26012927.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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