The Veteran's claims for PTSD, Depression, Alcohol Use Disorder (Substance Abuse), Respiratory Disorder, Hypertension, Low Back Pain, Neck Disability, Migraine Headaches, and Right Arm Residuals are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.,Specifically, the VA needs to verify the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors, obtain VA medical opinions regarding his mental health conditions, respiratory disorder, hypertension, low back and neck pain, and migraine headaches, and provide a VA examination for his right arm residuals.
The deciding factor: The claims are being remanded due to pre-decisional errors identified in the March 2022 rating decisions on appeal. These include failing to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors, obtain medical opinions regarding his mental health conditions and respiratory disorder, provide a VA examination for his right arm residuals, and ensure that all relevant VA treatment records are obtained.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Alcohol Use Disorder (Substance Abuse), Respiratory Disorder, to include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Hypertension, Low Back Pain, Neck Disability, Migraine Headaches, Right Arm Residuals (Muscle Spasms)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26039478
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 A26039478.
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 case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
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