The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is not shown to be causally related to an in-service event. Service connection for hypertension is denied.,The Board found a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the low back disability, as the October 2018 VA examiner's opinion did not address the effect of service-connected pneumonia on the Veteran's asthma. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion.,Regarding the respiratory disorder, the Board noted that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in the December 2018 VA examiner's opinion, which did not address the role of service-connected pneumonia in the manifestation of the Veteran's asthma. The case is also remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The weight of evidence does not support a finding that hypertension was shown to be causally related to an in-service event.,There is no medical evidence indicating that the low back disability incurred during service, as there were no significant injuries noted. The Veteran's current condition may be due to natural aging or post-military service injury.,The weight of evidence does not support a finding that the respiratory disorder was caused by an in-service event, and the VA examiner did not address the role of service-connected pneumonia in the manifestation of asthma.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Low back disability, Respiratory disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2024
- Citation
- A24027551
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 A24027551.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- 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 Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
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