The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for heart disease and Parkinson’s Disease due to herbicide exposure require further development as a result of recent legal changes regarding the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam.
The deciding factor: Recent court decisions have clarified that veterans with service in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam during specified periods are eligible for presumptive service connection for conditions related to herbicide exposure, including Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's records need to be reviewed to determine if he served within these designated areas.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart disease, Parkinson’s Disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20001429
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 claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD and right hand scar, but denied service connection for other claimed conditions including diabetes type II, erectile dysfunction, headaches, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, left shoulder injury, left hand injury, lower back injury, right shoulder injury, upper back injury, and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for heart disease was dismissed, and the claims for erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and COPD were denied. The claim for chronic hip pain was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to May 3, 2017 and refers the claim for service connection for heart disease back to the AOJ.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.