The Veteran's claims for service connection for stomach disability, rheumatoid arthritis, loss of teeth and gum disease, and residuals of cataract with pseudophakia are remanded due to the need for additional development regarding potential in-service radiation exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran contends that his claimed conditions may be 'radiogenic diseases' due to in-service radiation exposure. The AOJ has not obtained dosimetry information from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) or a dose estimate, and further development is needed under VA policy procedures for claims based on ionizing radiation.
- Claimed conditions
- stomach disability, rheumatoid arthritis, loss of teeth and gum disease, residuals of cataract with pseudophakia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2021
- Citation
- A21016751
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 A21016751.
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 service connection for cervicalgia, jaw disability, stomach disability, and drug abuse as the evidence did not support a finding of an in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus; granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and skin cancer; and restored the 10 percent rating for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and systemic lupus erythematosus as there was no evidence of onset during active service or etiological relationship to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis was dismissed due to a untimely notice of disagreement. The left knee disorder claim is remanded for further action.
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