The Veteran's esophageal and bowel disorders are granted service connection, but the issue of service connection for asthma is remanded due to a duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider all relevant evidence, including a questionable diagnosis of bronchial asthma in 2007, when determining whether the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal disorder, functional gastrointestinal disorder of the bowels
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2021
- Citation
- A21016355
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 A21016355.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal or esophageal disability was caused or aggravated by service or any related conditions.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, right knee, left knee, upper jaw/dental, and esophageal disorders due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in excess of the current ratings. The Board granted a 10 percent rating for left nasal cavity mass with obstruction prior to March 18, 2024, but denied a compensable rating beginning that date. The Board remanded service connection for esophageal disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an esophageal disorder and a thyroid disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to service, including asbestos exposure.
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