The Board has remanded the case due to issues with service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and exposure to toxic substances during his military service in Okinawa, Japan. The AOJ is required to attempt to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and properly develop Toxic Exposure Risk Activities (TERAs).
The deciding factor: The Board found that further investigation into the Veteran's exposure to toxic substances was necessary due to incomplete information.
- Claimed conditions
- Arrythmia, Possible dehydration, Possible acute myocardial infarction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2024
- Citation
- A24028439
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 A24028439.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for asthma was denied. The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for arrhythmia was granted, and the issues of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and testicular condition were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, service connection for left ear hearing loss and psoriasis as well as arrythmia are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.
- Granted
The veteran is granted special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his multiple service-connected disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of various joints and arrhythmia. He does not meet criteria for housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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