The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left leg, right leg chronic venous insufficiency and severe swelling of both hands due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining records from Mary Washington Hospital. Additional VA examinations are needed.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was an error in the AOJ's decision on appeal as it did not attempt to obtain authorization for the Veteran's medical records from Mary Washington Hospital, which may be relevant to his claims of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- left leg chronic venous insufficiency, right leg chronic venous insufficiency, severe swelling of the left hand, severe swelling of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26018204
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 A26018204.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right leg chronic venous insufficiency due to inadequate medical opinions in the May 2023 Rating Decision. The Veteran's bilateral conditions are being reviewed on a direct basis, without presumptive or secondary theories.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for left and right leg chronic venous insufficiency and tinnitus, but remanded other related issues for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased disability rating higher than 40 percent for the service-connected left leg disability, finding that the current severity of symptoms did not warrant a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of right leg chronic venous insufficiency, finding that it was not incurred in or caused by active duty service.
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