The Board remands the claims for service connection due to outstanding records of private treatment and a lack of VA medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including outstanding records and the need for VA medical opinions considering her contentions of toxic exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), chronic headaches, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, lumbosacral strain, chronic pain syndrome (CPS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, left lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II (DM II), right lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to DM II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25038517
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 Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine pain, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent yeast infections. The claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder and left knee pain were remanded.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
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