The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including eye condition, joint pain, shoulder and neck conditions, wrist and hand conditions, knee and ankle conditions, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, all potentially related to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran was not afforded VA examinations due to his inability to report for scheduled exams.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient medical evidence to determine if any of the claimed conditions are related to service, given the Veteran's failure to show for VA examinations and lack of etiological opinions in the record.
- Claimed conditions
- Eye condition, Joint pain, Right shoulder condition, Left shoulder condition, Neck condition, Right wrist condition, Left wrist condition, Finger condition of the right hand, Finger condition of the left hand, Right knee condition, Left knee condition, Right ankle condition, Left ankle condition, Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2018
- Citation
- 18139927
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 18139927.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's left shoulder disability and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, both secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded the claims for a right knee condition, left knee condition, and low back condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left and right ankle condition due to the lack of evidence showing current diagnoses, while remanding the claim for bilateral hearing loss for further medical evaluation.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
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