The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a failure to obtain private treatment records and provide VA examinations prior to adjudicating the claims.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to obtain private treatment records and provide the Veteran with VA examinations in connection with his service connection claims, which constitutes a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error that must be corrected on remand.
- Claimed conditions
- migraines, cubital tunnel syndrome with ulnar nerve impingement of the left elbow, cubital tunnel syndrome with ulnar nerve impingement at the right elbow, traumatic arthritis and medial and lateral epicondylitis of the left elbow, traumatic arthritis and medial and lateral epicondylitis of the right elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome with median nerve impingement of the left hand, trigger finger, left middle finger, trigeminal neuralgia (migraines), back muscle tendon unit strain, spondylolisthesis with anterolisthesis, spinal stenosis due to spondylolisthesis with anterior movement, lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome, left lower extremity sciatic nerve impingement, right lower extremity sciatic nerve impingement, bilateral plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2026
- Citation
- A26027235
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 A26027235.
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 claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
The appeals regarding the evaluation of bilateral plantar fasciitis and residuals of fractures of the second, fourth, and fifth left toes, as well as the evaluation of bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy with loss of use, are dismissed as untimely.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning the service connection claims for various conditions and initial compensable evaluations for service-connected erectile dysfunction and bilateral hearing loss is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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.