The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, left knee disability, and residuals of bunionectomies due to exposure to gas and diesel fuel during National Guard service. The AOJ is instructed to obtain medical opinions regarding these issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service, as there is no evidence of its onset during a period of ADT or active duty. For the other conditions, the Board ordered remand for obtaining medical opinions on their relationship to in-service exposure to gas and diesel fuel.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Right shoulder disability, Thoracolumbar spine disability, Left knee disability, Residuals of right and left bunionectomies
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2024
- Citation
- 24006462
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 24006462.
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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