The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions in the March 2024 rating decision. The Veteran's CVA is related to his service-connected hypertension, but not solely caused by it. Right and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome are related to in-service lifting heavy equipment as part of his MOS. The gastrointestinal disorder other than sigmoid diverticulitis is related to in-service TERA.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided were inadequate and do not address the specific etiology of the Veteran's conditions, including their relationship to service or any toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs).
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, gastrointestinal disorder other than sigmoid diverticulitis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26017605
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 A26017605.
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 the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, and PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder as secondary to his service-connected back disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for hearing loss disability, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left upper extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are all denied.,The Board found that there is no current evidence of a hearing loss disability meeting VA criteria. The Veteran had normal hearing at entry to service but later developed impacted cerumen which obscured her ability to be tested for hearing loss.,For carpal tunnel syndrome, the Board determined that there was no onset during service and no compensable manifestation within one year after separation from service. There is also no evidence linking current symptoms to in-service events or diseases.,Regarding an acquired psychiatric disorder, the Board concluded that there were no signs or findings of a psychiatric condition during service. The Veteran's military records indicate she was rated highly and had good relationships with her peers.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple disabilities, including bilateral wrist, ankle, foot, shoulder, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, lumbosacral spine, and carpal tunnel syndrome, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities and an increased rating for skin cancer to correct duty-to-assist errors.
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