The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the claims for bilateral shoulder strain, ankle tendonitis, and patellofemoral pain syndrome due to inadequate VA opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA opinions did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service injuries and the nature of his MOS duties.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shoulder strain, bilateral ankle tendonitis, bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26039340
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 A26039340.
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 Veteran's appeal for earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) prior to August 8, 2024, and dependency benefits from June 1, 2025, to August 8, 2025, for the school-aged child are both denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome and degenerative arthritis are granted a 20% rating, effective from the date of the decision.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability is related to service, resolving all doubts in his favor. The evidence shows a current diagnosis of bilateral shoulder strain and degenerative arthritis, which the Veteran attributes to injuries sustained during military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for various conditions, including kidney stones, shoulder injuries, foot and ankle issues, and back problems. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the withdrawal.
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