The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant records, including service treatment records and VA hospital records. The Veteran's current back and neck disabilities are being examined by a VA examiner to determine if they are related to her military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the duty to assist was not fulfilled as it pertained to obtaining missing service treatment records and VA hospital records, which could provide evidence of the onset and etiology of the Veteran's current disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- back strain, joint pains, muscle spasms of the neck, right rotator cuff tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26018276
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 A26018276.
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 dismissed the Veteran's appeal for entitlement to TDIU and denied his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back strain, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The claims of service connection for these conditions are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for TBI, back strain, chest pain, foot pain, and tendonitis as there is no evidence of disease or injury incurred during active duty or training.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
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