The Board has determined that additional development is required for the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, lumbosacral strain with rheumatoid spondylitis, sacroiliac joints and degenerative joint disease, coronary artery disease, PTSD, and TDIU. The claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and consideration.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is sufficient evidence of an association between exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) and hypertension, which requires a medical opinion addressing the Veteran's diagnosed hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, lumbosacral strain with rheumatoid spondylitis, sacroiliac joints and degenerative joint disease, coronary artery disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19158524
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 19158524.
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 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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified depressive disorder with social anxiety disorder and PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma but denied it for hypertension.
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