The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion in the July 2024 VA examination, which did not consider the Veteran's lay contentions regarding his symptom onset and failed to provide a 'synergistic' and 'combined effect' analysis of all toxic exposure risk activities.
The deciding factor: The Board found the July 2024 opinion inadequate as it did not address the Veteran's assertions about his in-service exposures and did not conduct a 'synergistic' and 'combined effect' analysis for all toxic exposure risk activities.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory condition, restrictive lung disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26008130
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 A26008130.
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 Veteran's respiratory condition, including COPD, is remanded due to errors in obtaining SSA records and an inadequate TERA memo. The Board finds the AOJ erred by not attempting to obtain relevant SSA records and by relying on an incomplete TERA memo.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, brittleness of teeth, chronic headaches, joint pain, and a respiratory condition are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and missing evidence. The Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, a respiratory condition, and bilateral hearing loss are being reviewed.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus is denied as his disability has already been rated at the maximum allowable level.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because there is no evidence of a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes during the pendency of this appeal.,Service connection for a right shoulder disorder, headaches, TMJ dysfunction, hypertension, vertigo, and respiratory condition are all denied as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.
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