The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development and examination.,The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development and examination.,The Veteran's hypertension is not related to service or diabetes mellitus with nephropathy. It is also not secondary to herbicide exposure, but may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus with nephropathy.,The Veteran's atrial fibrillation is not related to service or diabetes mellitus with nephropathy. It is also not secondary to herbicide exposure, but may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus with nephropathy.,The Veteran's heart disease other than atrial fibrillation is not related to service or diabetes mellitus with nephropathy. It is also not secondary to herbicide exposure, but may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus with nephropathy.
The deciding factor: Additional development and examination are required due to the passage of time since the last VA examination and the Veteran's assertion that his PTSD has worsened.,Additional development and examination are required as the Veteran was not afforded a VA examination for his right knee disorder, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, or heart disease other than atrial fibrillation. The examiner should provide an opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to active service, herbicide exposure, or diabetes mellitus with nephropathy.,The September 2010 VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not address the matter of aggravation and did not consider whether hypertension is secondary to herbicide exposure. The Veteran has not been provided notice of what part of the evidence is needed for a claim of secondary service connection, including notice of what part the VA will attempt to obtain.,The September 2010 VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not address the matter of aggravation and did not consider whether atrial fibrillation is secondary to herbicide exposure. The Veteran has not been provided notice of what part of the evidence is needed for a claim of secondary service connection, including notice of what part the VA will attempt to obtain.,The September 2010 VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not address the matter of aggravation and did not consider whether heart disease other than atrial fibrillation is secondary to herbicide exposure. The Veteran has not been provided notice of what part of the evidence is needed for a claim of secondary service connection, including notice of what part the VA will attempt to obtain.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Right Knee Disorder, Hypertension, Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Disease Other Than Atrial Fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2014
- Citation
- 1403028
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 1403028.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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