The Board is remanding the claims for service connection and effective dates earlier than March 20, 2020 due to duty to assist errors and a request for a good cause extension of time limits.
The deciding factor: The Veteran requested a good cause extension for filing a complete application within one year of the intent to file received on February 14, 2019 due to pandemic delays and significant overseas travel in service.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified insomnia disorder, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, left hip strain with labral tears with limitation of extension, lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Morton's neuroma of the right foot, tinnitus, left hip strain with labral tears with limitation of flexion, left hip strain with labral tears (with limitation of rotation)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2026
- Citation
- A26021824
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 A26021824.
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 remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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