The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and its secondary conditions due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of Vietnam. Additional development is needed to determine if he served in this area during the relevant timeframe.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to determine whether the Veteran served within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of Vietnam, which would be required for presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity, right foot ulcer, right leg problems, amputated fourth toe on left foot
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005685
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for spinal stenosis, peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, lumbar spine condition, and urinary frequency and voiding condition as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
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