The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for various conditions due to new evidence and exposure claims. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is reopened but the AOJ must obtain additional medical records and determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides or other toxins.
The deciding factor: New evidence received since the May 2009 rating decision includes VA clinical records and statements from the Veteran indicating exposure to toxins and contaminants. The AOJ must also obtain authorization for private treatment records and additional VA clinical records, as well as determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides or other toxins.
- Claimed conditions
- skin disorder, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, stomach disorder, heart disorder, joint pain
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19176431
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · 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 19176431.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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