The Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory, skin, and heart disabilities are being remanded due to incomplete development of his exposure history at Dugway Proving Ground.
The deciding factor: Incomplete documentation of the Veteran’s exposure to chemical agents during service prevents a determination on the etiology of his current disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disability (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), skin disability (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma), heart disability (ischemic heart disease, coronary artery bypass graft, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, status post dual chamber pacemaker placement, aortic stenosis)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177551
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal regarding the Veteran's entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for atrial fibrillation is remanded due to unclear evidence on whether continuous medication is required for its control.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hiatal hernia, COPD, and prostate cancer as a result of toxic exposure during the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
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