The Veteran's claims for abscess liver, vertigo, bronchitis, persistent rash, immune disorder, breast lump, left foot pain, right foot pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, joint pains, and muscle pain are remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding Gulf War exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was based on the absence of diagnosed conditions for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. The Veteran submitted private medical records that provided these diagnoses, which were not addressed in the VA examiner's opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- abscess liver, vertigo, bronchitis, persistent rash, immune disorder, breast lump, left foot pain, right foot pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, joint pains, muscle pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19167411
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,886 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19167411.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, fibromyalgia, and vertigo. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
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