The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions addressing the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: Additional VA medical opinions are needed to determine if the Veteran's current carpal tunnel syndromes are related to his active service or secondary to his service-connected thyroid cancer with hypothyroidism.
- Claimed conditions
- Thyroid Cancer with Hypothyroidism, Right Upper Extremity Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Left Upper Extremity Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2026
- Citation
- A26013536
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 A26013536.
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 Board has granted service connection for right shoulder pain, left shoulder pain, and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome. The conditions are considered to be directly related to the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective as of the date of this decision.,The Veteran has been granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbago and remanded issues related to separate ratings for lower extremity neurologic disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome, and special monthly compensation.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral ear infections were denied. The Veteran's right and left upper extremity carpal tunnel disabilities are each granted a higher rating.,The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for an increased rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
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