The Veteran's lung disability and sinusitis claims are denied as there is no current diagnosis.,The deferred right foot disability claim is dismissed due to a premature Notice of Disagreement.,Heart and diabetes mellitus claims are remanded for additional etiology opinions regarding herbicide exposure.,Allergic rhinitis and bilateral shoulder disabilities claims are remanded for new etiology opinions considering toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of lung disability or sinusitis, as there are no contemporaneous records showing such diagnoses.,The February 12, 2025, rating decision deferring the right foot disability claim was premature and not an adjudicative determination by VA.,There is insufficient development regarding herbicide exposure at Fort McClellan. The claims for heart and diabetes mellitus are remanded due to inadequate etiology opinions.,The Veteran's allergic rhinitis and bilateral shoulder disabilities claims require new etiology opinions considering his reported symptoms and medical literature.
- Claimed conditions
- lung disability, sinusitis, heart disability, type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, allergic rhinitis, bilateral shoulder disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26018178
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 A26018178.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and has ordered the case back to the AOJ for proper notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for sinusitis is being remanded due to a failure by the AOJ to provide proper notice of his right to a hearing.
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