The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's Bell’s Palsy disability, including its onset and relationship to service. The Veteran is requested to undergo a VA examination to determine if his Bell’s Palsy is related to his military service or exposure to herbicides such as Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's Bell’s Palsy disability, including its onset and relationship to service. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if his Bell’s Palsy is related to his military service or exposure to herbicides such as Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- Bell’s Palsy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20041741
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 20041741.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for Bell's Palsy and thyroid cancer, including as due to radiation exposure, finding no current diagnosis of either condition at the time of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a rating higher than 10 percent for Bell’s Palsy from August 30, 2000 and for consideration of TDIU. The Veteran is also requested to provide any outstanding VA or private treatment records.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for Bell’s Palsy, claimed as a nervous condition, is granted. The Board found that the current neurological symptoms are related to service and thus grants service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's Bell’s Palsy is denied as there is no current diagnosis.,Service connection for OSA is granted based on in-service onset and current diagnosis.,Service connection for bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is granted due to in-service onset and current diagnosis.,Service connection for MDD, with anxious distress, is granted based on in-service onset and current diagnosis.
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