The Board remands the claims for service connection for sarcoidosis, right and left fingers disabilities, and a cardiac disability due to insufficient development of evidence regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents or other toxic substances.
The deciding factor: The June 2023 hearing did not fully explain the elements of a service connection claim, and VA failed to obtain relevant treatment records from Banner Desert Hospital.
- Claimed conditions
- sarcoidosis, disability of the right fingers (including sarcoidosis of the nails), disability of the left fingers (including sarcoidosis of the nails), cardiac disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25034620
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 A25034620.
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 service connection for a cardiac disability, including arteriosclerotic heart disease and coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active service or an in-service injury.
- 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.
- 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 low back condition and dismissed the appeal for sarcoidosis.
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