The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to lack of evidence regarding herbicide agent exposure and for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the stroke.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's military records do not provide sufficient information about his exposure to herbicide agents, and further investigation is needed. Additionally, a VA examination is required to assess the relationship between the stroke and heart disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Disorder, Residuals of a Stroke
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20004154
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The claims for a heart disorder and prostate cancer were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial compensable rating for COPD and remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disorder and chronic kidney disease.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for diabetes was granted, while other issues related to heart disorder, prostate cancer, and gallbladder removal were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder claimed as due to exposure to toxins at Fort McClellan, Alabama. The examiner concluded that the Veteran's heart disorder was less likely than not incurred in or caused by her military service.
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