The veteran seeks service connection for various conditions allegedly related to exposure to ionizing radiation during military service. He also wishes to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a hernia disorder. The claims are being remanded due to the unavailability of his service medical and personnel records, as well as other pertinent treatment records.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service medical and personnel records are unavailable, which hinders the VA from verifying his claimed exposure to ionizing radiation during military service. Additionally, some relevant treatment records are missing or not associated with the claims file.
- Claimed conditions
- psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, facial deformity, diabetes, hernia, hair loss, right arm and shoulder pain and weakness, bilateral leg numbness, painful lump on left upper chest, rectal bleeding, groin pain, bilateral feet and toes numbness and swelling, pain and tightness in head and neck, stomach pain and nausea, frequent urination
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2006
- Citation
- 0603380
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for fibromyalgia was granted with an effective date of August 14, 2023. The appeals for earlier effective dates and higher ratings were denied.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for various conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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