The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left knee arthropathy, right knee replacement residuals, and right hip degenerative disease due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's active service included multiple jumps as a paratrooper and exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The AOJ identified a duty-to-assist error that required return of the case for examinations and opinions addressing the Veteran's theory of entitlement based on his in-service jumps and herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee arthropathy, right knee replacement residuals, right hip degenerative disease
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2026
- Citation
- A26019316
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 A26019316.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's left knee, lumbar spine, and bilateral hip degenerative diseases as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of a 60 percent disability rating for the service-connected right knee replacement residuals effective October 17, 2020, and denied an increased disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD. A TDIU was also granted from August 28, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right hip disability, including whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected left hip disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected right knee replacement residuals and anxiety disorder do not meet the criteria for eligibility for the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only.
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