The Board has decided to remand the case due to new research supporting a change in the strength of association between herbicide agent exposure and hypothyroidism, requiring further examination and medical opinion.
The deciding factor: New research supports changing the strength of association designation between herbicide agent exposure and hypothyroidism to 'limited or suggestive'.
- Claimed conditions
- hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20002872
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 a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism, as it is presumptively linked to herbicide agent exposure during the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected hypothyroidism and remanded the claim for service connection for lipomas (claimed as cysts surgery).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism secondary to in-service toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) based on the Veteran's conceded in-service jet fuel fumes exposure.
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.