The Board has remanded the claims for autoimmune disease, Graves' disease, and polyneuropathy due to lack of a VA examination. The Veteran's service records indicate exposure to herbicides while serving on the perimeter of Royal Thai Air Force Bases.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence in the record to make a determination regarding the relationship between the claimed conditions and military service, specifically due to the absence of a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- autoimmune disease, Graves' disease, polyneuropathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19134246
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19134246.
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 remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for Graves' disease and a need for an addendum opinion on the etiology of the condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's right upper extremity carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndrome with polyneuropathy was rated at 40 percent from October 22, 2018 to January 13, 2020. The Board denied an increased rating greater than 40 percent for the period prior to January 13, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hyperthyroidism, including Graves' disease and nodular goiter, is remanded due to the need for a TERA examination. The AOJ failed to provide this examination before issuing the rating decision on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA did not properly consider the Veteran's exposure to toxic substances during service, specifically trichlorethylene (TCH), which could be related to his Graves' disease. As a result, the case is being remanded for further action.
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