The veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure is being remanded as there has been a significant change in the law regarding the duty to assist and the presumption of exposure to herbicides. The RO must obtain the veteran's service personnel records, including any records regarding his service in Vietnam during the Vietnam Era. They should also contact the United States Armed Services Center for Research of Unit Records and request that a determination be made as to the likelihood of the veteran being exposed to a herbicide agent during his service in Vietnam. The RO must then provide the veteran with a VA neurology examination, ensuring all provisions of the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 are complied with.
The deciding factor: The significant change in law regarding the duty to assist and the presumption of exposure to herbicides necessitates further investigation into the veteran's service records and potential exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2001
- Citation
- 0104752
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0104752.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
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The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy due to a duty to assist error in failing to obtain relevant exposure information. The AOJ is instructed to conduct additional development as outlined in the decision.
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