The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy of various extremities due to herbicide agent exposure. The case is being returned to determine if the Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam or its territorial waters during his active service.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to determine whether the Veteran's reported service in the Republic of Vietnam or its territorial waters, and thus remanded for further factual development.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II (DM), ischemic heart disease (IHD), peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (LLE), peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity (LUE), peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity (RUE), peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity (RLE)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20002370
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20002370.
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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected ischemic heart disease (IHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical opinions and ensuring competency of previous examiners.
- Denied
The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective November 21, 2024. The effective date for the initial 70% rating for adjustment disorder is February 11, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease, urinary incontinence, diabetes mellitus, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to failure to obtain all relevant medical records from Dr. DG.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran requires regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, left hip replacement, and PTSD. The decision grants special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance.
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