The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, and will require a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's lower back condition is related to his active duty service or secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The November 2020 VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service injury and its ongoing effects, nor did it address secondary service connection for the knee conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (claimed as lower back condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26021558
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 A26021558.
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 Veteran's appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and lumbosacral strain has been dismissed due to non-compliance with the claims processing rules.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome is remanded as there are procedural issues related to the VA examinations conducted.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection for lumbosacral strain, left shoulder condition, and right knee condition was dismissed due to a late filing of the Board Appeal request.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a low back condition to obtain an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have aggravated his low back disability.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted an effective date of August 3, 2016 for a 40 percent rating for his lumbosacral strain (claimed as lower back condition). The earlier effective date was determined due to the inadequacy of the June 2018 VA examination results.
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