The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, lumbar spine disability, and knee disabilities due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during service. The claims will be reviewed again with additional evidence obtained.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there may be outstanding private treatment records and that the USS Standley’s operations within twelve nautical miles of Vietnam need to be verified for hypertension and DMII claims, as well as a VA examination needed for all issues.
- 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
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2020
- 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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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