The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability and DM due to herbicide exposure. The remaining issues of service connection for neuropathy, left upper extremity; right upper extremity; and psychiatric disability (PTSD) are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's presence in Vietnam and exposure to herbicides have been conceded, allowing for presumptive service connection based on the diseases associated with such exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability, diabetes mellitus type II (DM), neuropathy, left upper extremity, neuropathy, right upper extremity, psychiatric disability (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20058655
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 20058655.
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 Veteran's hypertension was granted service connection effective August 10, 2022. The heart disability was granted secondary to the hypertension.,An initial rating of 30% for the heart disability was granted in May 2023 and increased to 60% since October 22, 2024.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure, and also granted service connection for diabetic neuropathy of the right upper, right lower, left upper, and left lower extremities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty at Fort McClellan. The Board also found support for secondary service connection for diabetic neuropathy of various extremities, peripheral vascular disease, and gastroparesis as secondary to DM.
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