The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, heart disability, hypothyroidism, bilateral lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, sleep apnea, and bilateral cataracts due to exposure to non-ionizing radiation from radar equipment. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's military personnel records showed he was involved with radar equipment, which likely exposed him to non-ionizing radiation. The claim for service connection on a direct basis based on possible exposure can be considered as long as there is no evidence of a radiogenic disease listed under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(d).
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, heart disability, hypothyroidism, bilateral lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, sleep apnea, bilateral cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19191371
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 19191371.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
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