The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder / trapezius disability, finding no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence to link any symptoms to service. The sinus disability claim is remanded due to potential TERA exposure.,Service connection for a sinus disability is being remanded as there are implicit claims of participation in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) based on the Veteran's service in Southwest Asia, which may require a VA medical opinion under PACT Act provisions.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support finding that the Veteran has a current left shoulder disability or that any such disability is related to service. The Board found no credible history of ongoing symptoms from service and gave greater weight to contemporaneous records.,Service connection for sinus disability requires consideration of potential TERA exposure, which may necessitate a VA medical opinion under PACT Act provisions.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder / Trapezius Disability, Sinus Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2024
- Citation
- A24013923
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 A24013923.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD, diagnosed as adjustment disorder with anxious mood and alcohol use disorder, and left testicle pain. The claims for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a sinus disability were denied, while the claim for a chronic vomiting disorder was also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected traumatic brain injury, bilateral knee disabilities, and sinus disability prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal prior to January 26, 2009.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for allergic rhinitis, left leg scars, bilateral hearing loss, neurological disability of the left leg, and sinus disability have been denied. The Board is remanding the claims for erectile dysfunction, gastrointestinal disability, and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bladder cancer and left knee pain, but denied service connection for GERD, acne, right knee pain, erectile dysfunction, and sinus disability. The TDIU claim was dismissed.
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