The Board remands the claims for service connection for asthma and sinusitis to obtain a TERA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's participation in toxic exposure risk activities during service.
The deciding factor: Additional development is necessary to determine if the Veteran's current respiratory issues are related to his conceded exposures due to toxic chemicals during service, as required by the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT Act).
- Claimed conditions
- asthma, sinusitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2025
- Citation
- 25007058
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 was granted a 70 percent disability rating for unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder with major depressive disorder, recurrent, and alcohol use disorder in early remission, as well as TDIU due to asthma and SMC at the housebound rate.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted higher ratings for the Veteran's service-connected carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome of both upper extremities, but remanded claims for service connection for sinusitis, calcified lymph nodes on the lungs, and cervical strain.
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