The Board has found a duty to assist error in obtaining potentially relevant records from Fitzsimons General Hospital and the Adjutant General for Illinois Army National Guard. The case is being remanded to make reasonable attempts to obtain these records.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported discharge from Fitzsimons General Hospital, where he received treatment for his left knee injury. The Board found that efforts were not made to obtain these records and thus there was a duty to assist error.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26021078
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 A26021078.
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 determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection regarding his left knee, right knee condition, and coronary artery disease require further examination and medical opinion due to a lack of a VA examination in connection with these claims.
- Granted
The Veteran's left ankle disability is granted service connection, and he receives a 10% rating for his right and left knee disabilities based on limitation of motion. Separate 20% ratings are assigned for instability in both knees.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for her left knee disability has been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's attempts to appeal the January 14, 2020 rating decision were not timely filed and dismissed.
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