The Board has found the VA examinations and opinions to be incomplete due to a lack of consideration of exposure to burn pits during service. The Veteran's claim is remanded for another examination that addresses his lay assertions of continued symptoms since service.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not adequately address the Veteran's exposure to burn pits during service, which could impact the determination of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2022
- Citation
- 22072093
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22072093.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 rheumatoid arthritis and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support direct service connection or any other theory of entitlement.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on a direct basis, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his in-service exposure to burn pits and other environmental toxins during his Southwest Asia service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis as there was no evidence of a current disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to outstanding records of private treatment and a lack of VA medical opinions.
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