The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability has been reopened due to new evidence. The case is remanded for further verification of herbicide exposure in Thailand and Vietnam, and for a VA examination or opinion regarding the relationship between any such exposure and the heart disability.
The deciding factor: New evidence was submitted that supports a theory of service connection based on presumptive herbicide agent exposure during service in Thailand. The case is remanded to verify this exposure and determine its relation to the Veteran's heart disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20072149
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 various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a heart disability, to include ischemic heart disease (IHD), due to an incomplete military personnel record and the need for further development of evidence related to exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy, to obtain additional evidence and a new medical opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, Raynaud's syndrome, and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.
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