The Board has remanded the claims for chest pains and joint disorders due to exposure to hazardous materials, including burn pit exposures. Additional medical opinions are needed to address whether these conditions are at least as likely as not related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA conceded that prior opinions were inadequate and did not provide sufficient rationale regarding the relationship between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's service or exposure to hazardous materials.
- Claimed conditions
- chest pains (other than chest pains due to GERD), joint disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2021
- Citation
- 21030449
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 21030449.
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 various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease, chronicity, or continuity of symptomatology. The Veteran's claims were also dismissed due to withdrawal at a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that further development is required for the Veteran's claims of breathing disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, visual disorder, joint disorder, chemical hypersensitivity disorder, and digestive system disorder. Specifically, a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) memorandum must be obtained, and new medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of these conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection and increased ratings has been dismissed due to the appellant's death.
- Dismissed
The Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeals for service connection for joint and digestive disorders, to include as components of an undiagnosed illness. The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's request.
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