The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for bilateral varices and service connection for sinus disorder due to burn pit exposure. The Veteran is seeking increased ratings for his varices, which he contends are not adequately addressed in previous examinations. For his sinus disorder claim, the Board found that there was insufficient evidence linking it to service or environmental exposures.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinions were inadequate and did not apply the correct legal standard regarding preexisting conditions and aggravation of a nonservice-connected condition by a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral varices, sinus disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20030396
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 20030396.
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 claim for service connection for brain disease due to trauma as it was untimely filed. The Board granted service connection for chronic sinusitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a left leg disorder, low back disorder, right shoulder disorder, and sinus disorder due to an error in not providing notice of the Veteran's right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a sinus disorder, finding that there is no current disability and insufficient evidence to establish a link between service and the claimed condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a sinus disorder and sleep apnea due to inadequate pre-decisional duty to assist. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered with additional evidence.
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