The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining and reviewing evidence, as well as inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran is required to provide updated medical records from his most recent period of active duty, undergo new VA examinations, and address secondary service connection theories.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in obtaining relevant service treatment records and in the adequacy of previous VA examination opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder disorder (shoulder strain), left knee disorder (knee strain), right knee issue (pain and limitation of flexion), right foot pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2026
- Citation
- A26017139
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 A26017139.
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 claim for service connection for migraine headaches, as secondary to tinnitus, is granted. The claims for service connection for hearing loss disability and a disability manifested by shortness of breath other than chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis are denied. The claims for service connection for an intestinal disability (diverticulitis), fatigue, hypertension, neck disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, upper and lower back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right hip disability, left hip disability, right foot pain, left foot pain, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and an acquired psychiatric disorder are all denied.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal for issues of service connection for left foot pain, skin condition, fibromyalgia, GERD, left knee strain, right knee strain, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, right ankle condition, and right shoulder condition due to untimely filing.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings were dismissed as untimely. The Board found that the Veteran did not provide a timely appeal request, despite having received notification of the rating decisions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for right foot pain due to duty-to-assist errors and unresolved medical questions.
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