The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions at the time of the June and August 2025 decisions. The cases will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
The deciding factor: There were insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's right shoulder arthritis, left ankle Achilles tendon disability, and thyroid cancer claim due to radiation exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Arthritis, Residuals of a Partial Tear of the Left Ankle Achilles Tendon, Fibrosarcoma (claimed as Thyroid Cancer)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2026
- Citation
- A26040976
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 A26040976.
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 a duty to assist error in the initial disability rating for right shoulder arthritis. The Veteran needs an addendum medical opinion regarding additional lost range of motion during painful flare-ups.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronic in-service injury or disease leading to arthritis and strain. The Board also found that continuity of symptomatology since service could not be established.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder, but granted an effective date of February 4, 2024, for a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran is seeking SMC at the rate payable under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) due to multiple service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and various orthopedic conditions. The Board has remanded for further action as additional medical evidence is needed to determine if regular aid and attendance or higher-level care is required.
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