The Veteran's claims for service connection involving his bilateral ankles, wrists, shoulders, elbows, and knees are being remanded due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The claims will be reconsidered with the inclusion of new evidence or clarification from a VA examiner.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not provide clear explanations regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to his service or any undiagnosed illnesses, which is required for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ankle Condition, Left Ankle Strain, Right Wrist Condition, Left Wrist Strain, Right Shoulder Condition, Left Shoulder Tendonitis, Right Elbow Strain, Left Elbow Strain, Right Knee Condition, Left Knee Strain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2026
- Citation
- A26024175
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 A26024175.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's right and left knee strains, as well as shin splints, were granted increased ratings. The Veteran also received special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from October 25, 2017 to March 11, 2024.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder condition or neck condition, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied. The claims of service connection for a neck condition as secondary to a service-connected right wrist condition and for bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the most recent rating decision on the merits, issued in October 2024, requires correction due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The claim for service connection for a right knee condition is being remanded.
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