The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning in a previous VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's nonischemic heart disease, AICD, and status post myocardial infarction are caused by Agent Orange exposure. The examiner must provide an addendum opinion addressing this issue.
The deciding factor: The Board requires an addendum opinion from a different VA examiner to determine if the Veteran’s conditions are at least as likely as not due to Agent Orange exposure, given that nonischemic heart disease is considered a presumptive condition for such exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- nonischemic heart disease, automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD), status post myocardial infarction
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19178660
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 2, 2019 for the grant of service connection and the assignment of a 100 percent evaluation for coronary heart disease, ischemic cardiomyopathy, status post myocardial infarction is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction and bypass surgery is granted. The right ear disability compensation claim is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicides while stationed at Nakhon Phanom Air Force base in Thailand.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim for further development due to unanswered questions regarding the likely onset of any current heart disability and the significance of certain medical findings.
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