The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), a lumbosacral spine disability, and right and left knee disabilities due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during service. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Drs. F.B., R.T., and J.S. as well as verify the USS Standley's operations within twelve nautical miles of Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision without verifying the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service, which may affect his claims for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII).
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), lumbosacral spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20005443
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · Granted: 26% (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 20005443.
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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The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
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The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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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.
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