The Board remands the claims for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, a urinary disability, and a skin disability (excluding PFB), including a claimed rash of the chest and back, to correct an error by the AOJ under the Appeals Modernization Act.
The deciding factor: The pre-decisional duty-to-assist error requires VA to provide another medical opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's conditions, considering his competent lay statements and total potential toxic exposure through all applicable military deployments.
- Claimed conditions
- pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), skin disability (excluding PFB), including a claimed rash of the chest and back, urinary disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25099896
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 831 · Granted: 48% (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 A25099896.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.,Service connection is denied for tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) and remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, PFB, and an earlier effective date for service connection of PFB.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for painful pseudofolliculitis barbae scars is granted, and service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and left ear hearing loss are both granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae scars remains pending.
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