The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) as secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ will consider any additional evidence when readjudicating the claim.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion was inadequate and did not address whether the Veteran's ED is secondary to medication taken for management of his low back disability, which constitutes a pre-decisional duty to assist error that must be corrected.
- Claimed conditions
- erectile dysfunction (ED), lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26031605
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 A26031605.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for asthma, hypertension with residuals including stroke, DM II, bilateral amputation of all toes, and diabetic neuropathy to obtain VA medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.,The Board also remanded the claim for ED as it is inextricably intertwined with the DM II claim.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of May 14, 2021 for service connection of residuals of prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as the November 17, 2025, request for an extension of time to file an appeal from a rating decision issued on May 31, 2024, that denied service connection for DMII, ED, fibromyalgia, IBS, and PTSD was not timely filed.
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