The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicides, including for gout, left and right leg conditions, tinnitus, respiratory condition, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, bladder disorder, migraines, peripheral neuropathy of the feet, restless leg syndrome of the legs, and a respiratory disability. The claims are remanded to allow for additional examinations and development.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that further examination is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of each diagnosed condition related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- gout, left leg condition (swelling bilateral legs), right leg condition (swelling bilateral legs), tinnitus, respiratory condition (shortness of breath), obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, bladder disorder (incontinence), migraines, peripheral neuropathy of the left foot, peripheral neuropathy of the right foot, restless leg syndrome of the left leg, restless leg syndrome of the right leg
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18144203
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 18144203.
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 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).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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