The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for sarcoidosis and pulmonary embolisms must be remanded due to a lack of sufficient medical evidence. The VA will obtain a TERA-compliant medical opinion to assess whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's active-duty service, including his exposure to herbicide agents from his service in the Republic of Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing medical opinions and studies were insufficient to establish a clear relationship between the Veteran's sarcoidosis and pulmonary embolisms and his military service, particularly due to conflicting evidence regarding herbicide agent exposure and other potential etiologies.
- Claimed conditions
- sarcoidosis, pulmonary embolisms
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2024
- Citation
- A24066640
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24066640.
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 claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not require regular aid and assistance from another person as a result of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition and dismissed the appeal for sarcoidosis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sarcoidosis, finding that the Veteran's sarcoidosis is not causally or etiologically related to his military service and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The initial rating for the service-connected sarcoidosis remains at noncompensable (0%) due to lack of evidence showing more than minimal impairment.
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