The Veteran's bilateral foot, hand, and hip conditions are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are aggravated by the Veteran's inability to take NSAIDs due to his service-connected kidney removal.
The deciding factor: The previous medical opinions did not address whether the Veteran's disabilities were aggravated by his inability to take NSAIDs (due to his kidney removal).
- Claimed conditions
- left foot arthritis, right foot arthritis, left hand degenerative arthritis, right hand degenerative arthritis, left hip strain, right hip strain, degenerative arthritis of the back
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2026
- Citation
- A26029518
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 A26029518.
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 service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and left hip strain as secondary to lumbosacral strain have been granted. The claim for left hip strain is remanded due to insufficient evidence on whether it was caused or aggravated by the service-connected lumbosacral strain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims for further action, including effective date determinations and service connection determinations. The Veteran's service records from Portsmouth Naval Hospital are requested to be obtained.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, and multiple orthopedic conditions, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of his right hip disability is denied as the earliest date of entitlement is April 21, 2025.
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