Burn pit and airborne hazard exposure: what the Board looked for
Real appeals on sinusitis, asthma, and heart disease after burn pits and airborne hazards, where a private medical opinion carried the weight.
A nexus letter is a signed medical opinion that links a current condition to your service.
If the VA just denied your burn pit claim: your decision letter lists the reasons. We read those reasons next to your records, page by page.
If you haven’t filed yet: the points below are what the Board weighed in these appeals. A letter can cover them from the start.
Why burn pit claims get denied
- The VA exam finds no current diagnosis. Without one, the VA’s burn pit rule can’t help you.
- The VA says your asthma started before service, even when your entrance exam never noted it.
- Your condition isn’t on the VA’s list of conditions it assumes came from burn pits, like heart disease, and the VA exam says the studies show no link.
- Private letters fall short when they give a diagnosis with no reason, or list symptoms your records never show.
What the Board looked for
“Probative” is the Board’s word for convincing.
Three VA opinions said no. One private opinion held.Granted · 2026
“The fact that there are three separate negative VA opinions does not in itself negate the probative value of the positive private opinion.”
Heart disease isn’t on the VA’s burn pit list. Three VA examiners found no link. The private opinion reviewed the whole file, cited studies on burn pit chemicals and the heart, and weighed other risk factors. The Board found the two sides evenly balanced and gave the veteran the benefit of the doubt.
Read decision A26068897 on VA.gov (opens in a new tab)The VA exam found no sinusitis.Granted · 2025
“The Veteran submitted a private medical opinion in November 2022 which contradicted the conclusions of the VA examiner.”
The VA examiner saw too little evidence to diagnose sinusitis. The private provider diagnosed chronic sinusitis, backed by records of repeat flare-ups. The veteran served in Southwest Asia, so the VA’s burn pit rule covered the link to service.
Read decision A25051946 on VA.gov (opens in a new tab)The VA said the asthma started before service.Granted · 2026
“The Board notes that the medical opinion is not contrary to any evidence of record.”
The entrance exam never noted asthma, so the Board presumed the veteran entered service healthy. A treating provider tied the asthma and rhinitis to airborne hazards in service. That direct link mattered, because the claim began before that rule took effect.
Read decision A26068377 on VA.gov (opens in a new tab)A private letter the Board turned down.Denied · 2025
“However, there is no evidence in the Veteran’s record to support that he has experienced these symptoms.”
The letter diagnosed asthma from burn pit smoke. The VA exam found no asthma and a normal chest x-ray. The letter gave no reason for the diagnosis beyond the exposure.
Read decision A25051504 on VA.gov (opens in a new tab)
What a strong nexus letter for a burn pit claim does
From the opinions the Board found convincing:
- Confirms a current diagnosis, with the exam or tests behind it.
- Matches your records, such as how often your sinus flare-ups happen.
- Explains why it’s asthma or sinusitis, not just that you breathed smoke.
- Shows it reviewed your claims file and service records.
- For a condition off the VA’s burn pit list, cites studies on what burn pits release and how that harms the body.
- Deals with other causes, like age, smoking, or blood pressure, head on.
- Can link your condition to service directly. In one appeal, that did more than the burn pit rule could.
- Uses the VA’s standard, “at least as likely as not.”
See what your records support
Our Nexus Check reads every page you send and cites the page for each finding, including pages that work against the claim. It’s free. If you request a letter, we draft it, and a licensed clinician reviews it, edits it and signs only what they support.
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If we don’t respond the same day during business hours, you get 15% off your nexus letter.
A call, voicemail or text from us counts as our reply. Business hours: Mon to Fri 8 to 5, Sat and Sun 8 to 2 Pacific. Terms
We don’t file claims or contact the VA for you. You or your accredited representative decide how to submit your evidence.
Public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decisions. These veterans weren’t Anchorpoint clients. Every claim is decided on its own evidence.