The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and respiratory disorder due to insufficient development. The hypertension claim was reopened, but a new VA examination is needed to address whether it is at least as likely as not that the condition is related to service or any incident occurring during service. For the respiratory disorder, a VA examination is also required to determine if it is at least as likely as not that the condition is related to service or any incident occurring during service.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient development for both claims and ordered new examinations to address potential service connection based on exposure to herbicide agents (PACT Act) or asbestos, which are not presumed in this case. The hypertension claim also requires clarification regarding the relationship with PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Respiratory disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21012260
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 21012260.
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 claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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