The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information on whether the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The appellant contends that the Veteran's diabetes and Parkinson's disease contributed to his death, which is a cause of death not covered by presumptive service connection.
The deciding factor: Insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran’s exposure status within 12 nautical miles of the coast of Vietnam during his service on USS Independence in 1965.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type 2, Parkinson's disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20004457
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 service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking entitlement to service connection for Parkinson's disease was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Parkinson's disease, which is presumed to have been incurred in active service due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
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