The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion to determine the severity of the Veteran's back disability and provide range of motion results for active and passive motion in weight bearing and nonweight-bearing conditions. The effective date for service connection remains October 10, 2012.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the prior VA examinations were inadequate and remanded to obtain a new addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician.
- Claimed conditions
- sacroiliac joint degenerative arthritis, lumbar disc herniation L5-S1, degenerative arthritis, lumbar disc herniation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2026
- Citation
- A26014868
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A26014868.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new examination to address the Veteran's sacroiliac joint degenerative arthritis, lumbar disc herniation L5-S1, and degenerative arthritis, thoracolumbar spine disability due to an inadequate pre-decisional examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for low back disabilities, tinnitus, and remanded other issues due to the need for additional development.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine strain and sacroiliac joint degenerative arthritis, effective March 29, 2019.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's low back disability is being remanded for a new examination to assess its current severity, as the April 2016 VA examination did not include passive range of motion measurements or weight-bearing testing.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.