The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral arterial occlusive disease, which is secondary to his service-connected ischemic heart disease and exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, has been remanded due to the inadequacy of a medical opinion regarding the cause of the condition.
The deciding factor: The July 2017 examiner's opinion did not address whether the peripheral arterial occlusive disease was related to herbicide agent exposure, as instructed by the Board.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral lower extremity peripheral arterial occlusive disease
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2017
- Citation
- 1747506
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 1747506.
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 ordered a remand to obtain an updated medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity peripheral arterial occlusive disease, specifically whether it is at least as likely as not related to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The appeal will be returned to the AOJ for further review.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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