The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates due to duty-to-assist errors, including incomplete medical records and failure to obtain SSA and private chiropractic care records. The AOJ will request these records and schedule a new examination.
The deciding factor: VA failed to properly develop the record by obtaining relevant medical records from the Veteran's non-VA providers and his Social Security Administration (SSA) file, which could contain pertinent evidence for evaluating the Veteran's claims during the review period and earlier effective dates.
- Claimed conditions
- Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity associated with the sciatic nerve, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity associated with the sciatic nerve, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity associated with the femoral nerve, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity associated with the femoral nerve, Left knee strain resulting in limitation of extension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26031882
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 A26031882.
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 claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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