The Board has determined that the AOJ committed a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error with regard to the Veteran's claims for urinary incontinence and hemorrhoids, both claimed as due to MST. The case is REMANDED for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The AOJ framed the question incorrectly, focusing on PTSD causing or aggravating the physical disabilities instead of addressing whether the MST itself caused or aggravated the urinary incontinence and hemorrhoids.
- Claimed conditions
- Urinary incontinence, Hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26019117
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 A26019117.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation of his hemorrhoids, so the case is dismissed.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for her service-connected hemorrhoids was denied as the evidence did not show large or thrombotic, irreducible hemorrhoids with excessive redundant tissue, evidencing frequent recurrence.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for urinary incontinence and left ankle sprain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to her military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased rating of hypertension and service connection for genitourinary disability, including benign prostatic hyperplasia and urinary incontinence, as secondary to medication used for a service-connected hypertension disability are remanded due to duty to assist errors.
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