The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions and new evidence. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents in Vietnam, but his GIST does not meet the definition of a soft tissue sarcoma.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s opinions were insufficient and new evidence from private providers supports the Veteran's contention that his conditions are related to service exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- left arm condition, lumbar spine condition, cervical spine condition, left shoulder condition, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20049330
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 20049330.
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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his request.,Service connection for a back condition is denied as there is no evidence that the condition began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for both a lower back condition and a cervical spine condition, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes only under Chapter 17 for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, headache condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder.
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