The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure and obtaining medical opinions regarding his diagnoses.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was not substantial compliance with prior remand directives and thus requires further development to verify herbicide exposure and obtain medical opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- type II diabetes mellitus (DMII), recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (anal cancer), bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20067693
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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