The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to obtain post-service medical records from June 2024.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner was unable to establish chronicity of the Veteran's ankle and knee conditions without post-service medical records from 1984 to 6/2024.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee joint osteoarthritis, left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain with degenerative arthritis, left knee joint osteoarthritis (also claimed as bilateral knees secondary to ankles), right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2026
- Citation
- A26016849
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 A26016849.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including SSA disability records. The AOJ will consider the recent grants of service connection in conjunction with the TDIU application.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis in the right elbow, right knee joint osteoarthritis, and residuals of a ventral hernia. The Veteran's preexisting conditions worsened during his active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, right knee joint osteoarthritis, left knee joint osteoarthritis, chest disability manifested by pain, left leg disability manifested by pain, right ankle disability manifested by pain, sleep apnea, and right ear hearing loss. The claim for left ear hearing loss is denied as the Veteran does not meet the regulatory threshold for a current hearing loss disability.
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