The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will consider whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability is related to his service or service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions were inadequate for adjudication as they did not adequately address the potential impact of the Veteran's service in Southwest Asia and the possibility that he has a MUCMI or other undiagnosable illness related to his service.
- Claimed conditions
- gastrointestinal disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2026
- Citation
- A26035023
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 A26035023.
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 decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a gastrointestinal disability due to procedural issues and will consider any additional evidence provided by the RO.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for gastrointestinal disability, left foot disability, and right foot disability due to deficiencies in the VA medical opinions provided. The appellant's lay statements will be considered along with the existing evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability may be related to service, including as due to an undiagnosed illness. However, a VA examination is needed to establish this relationship and correct any duty-to-assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions provided by VA examiners regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, specifically functional abdominal pain syndrome and/or diverticular disease. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.
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