The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange. The VA will need to provide an opinion on this issue.
The deciding factor: The opinion provided by Dr. C.F.S., while not sufficient for service connection, triggers VA’s duty to assist and requires a new medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's cause of death and his in-service herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- neurological disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19196966
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 19196966.
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 Board denied service connection for various neurological conditions as secondary to iron deficiency anemia, finding no current diagnosis of any of the claimed conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a neurological disorder has been withdrawn by the Veteran.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back, knee, foot, and ankle conditions, as well as TBI, neurological disorder, sleep apnea, respiratory complaints, asthma, GERD, anxiety, PTSD, and other related conditions. The Board also granted an initial 10 percent rating for left hip strain with painful limited extension and denied a compensable rating for the same condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for an updated Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA) memo and a VA examination to determine if there is a nexus between the Veteran's neurological disorder and service, including any TERA.
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.