The Board remands the claim for a respiratory condition, to include asthma, due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's exposure to toxic substances during service.
The deciding factor: The July 2024 VA examiner's opinion is deemed inadequate as it incorrectly stated that asthma is not a known presumptive condition linked to Southwest Asia (SWA) exposure and failed to address specific exposures, including burn pits.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory condition, to include asthma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25104829
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 907 · Granted: 35% (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 A25104829.
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 remands the claim for a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) memorandum and an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's asthma is related to his in-service herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, to include asthma, as there was no evidence of a chronic respiratory condition in service or within one year of discharge and the current condition is more likely related to post-service events.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for GERD and a respiratory condition, to include asthma, for further development including VA examinations.
- Denied
The appeal for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss was denied, and the appeals for service connection for arthritis of the hips, sleep apnea, respiratory condition (including asthma), and tinnitus were dismissed.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.