The Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical injury and bilateral shoulder condition are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations to determine their etiology.
The deciding factor: VA did not afford the Veteran with necessary medical nexus opinions in connection with his claims, as required by McLendon v. Nicholson (2006).
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical injury, Bilateral shoulder condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2026
- Citation
- A26024616
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 A26024616.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities alone were of such nature and severity to preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Partly granted
The appeal for an increased rating for a low back condition was denied, while the claims for service connection for bilateral knee, cervical spine, bilateral shoulder, and bilateral wrist conditions were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining outstanding private treatment records.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and denied service connection for diabetes, back condition, and bilateral shoulder condition. The decision is based on the evidence showing a history of elevated blood pressure during service that eventually led to hypertension.
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