The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including chronic fatigue, sleep disorder, skin condition, headaches, joint pain, respiratory disorder, and gastrointestinal disorder. The claims are being remanded to schedule VA examinations to determine if these symptoms qualify as undiagnosed illnesses or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses related to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's reported fatigue, sleep issues, skin condition, headaches, joint pain, respiratory disorder, and gastrointestinal symptoms may be due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI) related to service in Southwest Asia.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic fatigue, sleep disorder, skin disorder (rash), headaches, muscle and joint pain, respiratory disorder (asthma), gastrointestinal disorder (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19141953
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 19141953.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased initial disability evaluation of headaches due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.