The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of service connection for various conditions, including right eye retina disability, bilateral hearing loss, COPD, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, constipation, PTSD, GERD, ED, and prostate failure. The Veteran's service in Vietnam is conceded, and he contends his conditions are related to Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that additional development is needed due to the need for VA examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions, particularly given the potential for presumptive service connection based on Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- right eye retina disability, bilateral hearing loss (BHL) disability, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea, implanted cardiac pacemaker, claimed as heart condition, high blood pressure, constipation, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), erectile dysfunction (ED), prostate failure
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2018
- Citation
- 18140336
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 18140336.
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 remands the claim for a direct service connection opinion and an adequate secondary service connection aggravation opinion.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.