The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a heart disorder, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The Board will take all necessary steps to determine if the Veteran was within 12 nautical miles of the Republic of Vietnam and attempt to corroborate his assertions.
The deciding factor: The Board is unable to verify the Veteran’s in-service exposure to herbicide agents due to insufficient information provided by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper right extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the upper left extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the lower right extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the lower left extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19131888
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 19131888.
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 claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disorder, specifically atrial fibrillation, due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, lumbar spine condition, and urinary frequency and voiding condition as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
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