The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection due to environmental exposures during his Southwest Asia service. The issues include muscle and joint pain, hives, abnormal weight loss, nausea and constipation, sleep disturbances, neurological or neuropsychological disorder, and hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Board found that clarification was required regarding the diagnoses and assessments of the Veteran's disabilities or symptoms, and any association with his Southwest Asia service. Therefore, on remand, the AOJ should obtain new medical examinations and opinions pertaining to the Veteran's disabilities and symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Muscle and joint pain, Hives, Abnormal weight loss, Nausea and constipation, Sleep disturbances, Neurological or neuropsychological disorder (including chorea and mild cognitive disorder), Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2023
- Citation
- 23042239
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 23042239.
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 the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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