The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including low white blood cell count, skin, colon polyps, pericardial cyst, prostate and respiratory/lung disabilities, due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous remand instructions. The VA examiners were not provided adequate rationale in their opinions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA examiners did not provide sufficient rationale for their opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's disabilities and service exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- low white blood cell count disability, skin disability, colon polyps, pericardial cyst, prostate disability, respiratory/lung disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21069634
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 21069634.
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 Veteran's skin disability is remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his condition, including whether it is related to service or toxic exposure risk activities. The Veteran also needs to provide authorization forms for private treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's prostate disability. The claims for esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus remain denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for BPH due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to his service-connected hypertension. The AOJ is instructed to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether BPH was caused or aggravated by his hypertension.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disability were dismissed due to improper concurrent elections.,The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of back, sciatic nerve, right shoulder, foot, skin, left-hand, or right-hand disabilities. The claim for headaches was also denied.
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