The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD), lung disability, multiple myeloma, and hypertension have been remanded due to new evidence indicating possible associations with exposure to herbicide agents during active duty.,Specifically, the VA is directed to determine if the Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam or within its 12 nautical mile territorial sea. If so, a medical opinion will be sought regarding the relationship between his current conditions and service.
The deciding factor: The new evidence suggests possible associations with exposure to herbicide agents during active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease (CAD), lung tumors, multiple myeloma, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003142
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,446 · Granted: 21% (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 20003142.
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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