The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The right ankle claim requires an examination to determine if the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his active duty service, including injuries during deployments and training. For the respiratory disability claim, a clarification of the diagnosis is needed as well as consideration of whether the symptoms represent manifestations of an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness associated with Gulf War service.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's current right ankle and respiratory disabilities are related to his active duty service, necessitating further examination and clarification of diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle sinus tarsitis, Non-allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19180989
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection for sinusitis, non-allergic rhinitis, and obstructive sleep apnea.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service. The claims for colorectal cancer, sinusitis, and non-allergic rhinitis were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for non-allergic rhinitis, lung nodules, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus due to herbicide agent exposure. The claims for an ocular disorder and kidney disease were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, non-allergic rhinitis, and service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, right knee disability, and left knee disability.
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