The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of complete service treatment and personnel records from the Veteran's time at the United States Naval Academy and his active duty service. The claims will be reconsidered with these records.
The deciding factor: Procedural error in obtaining incomplete service treatment and personnel records for the Veteran's periods of service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2026
- Citation
- A26022949
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 A26022949.
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 a VA examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and determine if they meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant eligibility.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss, flash burn of right eye, left eye injury, fracture of the right hand, and bilateral ankle injuries.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and anxiety disorder due to MST. The issues of service connection for migraine headaches and residuals of a bilateral ankle injury are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for arthritis, residuals of ankle injuries, and residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right leg due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.