The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic maxillary sinusitis, erosive esophagitis, and stomach cancer due to exposure to D1-2 Ethylhexyl Phthalate (DOP). The VA is instructed to obtain all relevant records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the May 2014 VA opinions were inadequate due to lack of adequate rationale, and thus remanded the claims for further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic maxillary sinusitis, erosive esophagitis, stomach cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19191539
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 19191539.
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 Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for diabetes, glaucoma, left foot and toe tingling and numbness sensation, left hand and fingers tingling and numbness sensation, right foot and toe tingling and numbness sensation, right hand and fingers tingling and numbness sensation, and stomach cancer as moot.
- Partly granted
Service connection for prostate cancer on an accrued basis was granted based on the benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine, finding competent and credible evidence at least approximately balanced between service-connected prostatitis and prostate cancer. Service connection was denied for stomach cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, the Veteran's cause of death, and dependency indemnity compensation benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for chronic maxillary sinusitis due to a lack of medical evidence regarding the nature and severity of the condition.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal cancer other than esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, brain cancer, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to service connection for esophageal cancer, metastatic esophageal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer were remanded.
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