The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to toxic herbicides and to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The case is being remanded because the RO needs to verify the Veteran's exposure to toxic herbicides, specifically Agent Orange, as well as obtain further medical opinions on the relationship between his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability and any of the claimed disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, numbness in the upper extremities, chest pain, dizziness, respiratory disorder (claimed as asthma and difficulty breathing), sore throat (also claimed as a throat condition/difficulty swallowing, dry throat restriction), neck muscle pain
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2016
- Citation
- 1604635
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 1604635.
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 Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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