The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to concerns about the validity of his service connection claims based on exposure to ionizing radiation. The issues include loss of sense of smell, taste, sleep disorder, heart disorder, salivary gland disorder, gallbladder removal residuals, urinary tract infections, and skin condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records are lost, but his lay statements and a statement from the Sergeant in charge support his claims. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his active duty service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of sense of smell, loss of sense of taste, sleep disorder, heart disorder, salivary gland disorder, residuals of gallbladder removal, urinary tract infections, skin condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19144848
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 appeal for service connection for allergic rhinitis and lumbosacral or cervical strain was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the other issues were remanded for further evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a skin condition, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's current skin conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disorder, specifically atrial fibrillation, due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, except for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability which were granted. The veteran was also granted service connection for hypertension.
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.