The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for groin, left knee, GERD, IBS, and left lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran must undergo VA examinations and obtain medical opinions regarding his claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The initial decision was based on inadequate examination reports that did not consider the Veteran's statements about self-treatment after service, leading to a remand for further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Groin Disability, Left Knee Disability, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26015883
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 A26015883.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Mays & Schnapp Pain Management and schedule the Veteran for additional medical examinations.
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