The Board has determined that additional development is needed to assess the Veteran's exposure to herbicides and its potential impact on his claimed conditions. The claims are being remanded for further investigation.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to confirm the Veteran's reported exposures to herbicides during service in North Korea and verify if these exposures can be linked to his current health conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- carpal tunnel syndrome of the left hand, left arm condition (loss of muscle), pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bilateral lung nodules, left thyroid mass
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22047761
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 22047761.
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 Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is granted with an effective date of July 25, 2023.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is dismissed as it does not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral lung nodules are remanded due to the need for further development including obtaining private medical records and developing a TERA claim.
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