The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations and opinions regarding service connection for eye, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle conditions due to pre-duty-to-assist errors.
The deciding factor: VA did not obtain VA examinations prior to the March 2025 rating decision on appeal regarding these claims. The Veteran's contentions regarding the onset of his disabilities from service are relevant to their determination.
- Claimed conditions
- Eye Condition, Bilateral Knee Conditions, Bilateral Ankle Conditions
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26020783
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 A26020783.
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 appeals for service connection and earlier effective dates for tension headaches and lower back condition. The remaining issues of service connection for eye, neck, persistent cough, TBI residuals, and bilateral leg conditions are REMANDED.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of OSA, hypertension, and bilateral knee conditions.,The Board also denied the Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 50 percent for OSA and 10 percent for hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to procedural errors in the pre-decisional duty to assist.
- Denied
The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran also sought TDIU due to his asthma and knee conditions, but the Board found that he could still perform sedentary jobs.
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