The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional medical opinions to address whether he has any additional disability after a private surgical procedure, and if so, whether it was caused by or made worse by that procedure. The AOJ is also directed to obtain SSA records and treatment records from VA facilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in the claims file and ordered additional medical opinions to address the Veteran's section 1151 claims.
- Claimed conditions
- left upper extremity, right upper extremity, left lower extremity, right lower extremity, bowel, bladder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2026
- Citation
- A26024997
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 A26024997.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of increased initial evaluations for erectile dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome, service connection for left lower extremity, service connection for right lower extremity, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
- Dismissed
The claims seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left foot and bladder disabilities, as well as service connection for tinnitus, are dismissed due to lack of new and relevant evidence. The claim seeking service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is readjudicated.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded substantially gainful employment, and a TDIU is granted. The evaluation for lumbar strain remains remanded due to the need for an updated examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's service connection claims for low back, left hip, right hip, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity disabilities due to insufficient evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation. The claims are remanded for additional examinations and development.
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