The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claims can be adjudicated due to exposure to hazardous materials during his period of active-duty service. The PACT Act requires VA to obtain a TERA-specific examination for the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a clear link between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his military service, but further evaluation is needed to determine if there is a connection due to exposure to hazardous materials during his period of active-duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary fibrosis of the right lung, Hypertension, Sinus disability, Left foot disability (pes planus, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia), Right hip bursitis, Right hip total arthroplasty
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23068191
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 23068191.
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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