The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cardiomyopathy, axonal sensorimotor neuropathy of the feet, colon cancer, and skin cancer due to exposure to herbicide agents during service. The VA is instructed to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's conditions are not presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure but may still have been caused by such exposure, and requested additional medical evidence for consideration.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiomyopathy, colon cancer, skin cancer, axonal sensorimotor neuropathy, bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19179860
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 claim for service connection of colon cancer, claimed as due to exposure to asbestos, for an addendum opinion considering additional evidence.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for skin cancer was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the claim for squamous cell carcinoma was granted.
- Partly granted
The appeal was granted for the severance of service connection for hypertension and entitlement to service connection for a heart disability (claimed as cardiomyopathy) associated with hypertension. The claim for an initial compensable rating for hypertension was remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for colon cancer as the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and their in-service toxic exposure risk activity.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.