The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of prostate cancer is granted.,Service connection for hypertension as due to exposure to herbicide agents is remanded. The AOJ should verify the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents and provide a VA examination if necessary.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches is remanded. A VA examination is needed to determine whether his current migraines are related to military service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. The AOJ should obtain updated VA treatment records and afford the Veteran a VA examination if necessary.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability, presumed to be skin cancer, due to exposure to herbicide agents is remanded. The AOJ should verify his in-service exposure to herbicide agents and provide a VA examination if necessary.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, presumed to be PTSD, is remanded. The AOJ should obtain the Veteran's SSA records and afford him a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents while serving in Thailand, which allows for presumptive service connection of diseases associated with herbicide exposure.,Verification of the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents is needed. The AOJ should obtain updated VA treatment records and provide a VA examination if necessary.,The August 2015 VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's lay testimony at his January 2019 hearing, which stated that he had headaches since service and they were the same type as in service. A new opinion is needed to address this issue.,Updated records of any VA treatment should be procured. The AOJ should obtain updated VA treatment records and provide a VA examination if necessary.,The Veteran's current diagnosis of skin cancer is presumed due to exposure to herbicide agents. Verification of his in-service exposure to herbicide agents is needed. The AOJ should verify the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents and provide a VA examination if necessary.,Verification of the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents is needed. The AOJ should obtain updated VA treatment records, afford the Veteran a VA examination, and obtain his SSA records.
- Claimed conditions
- prostate cancer, hypertension, migraine headaches, bilateral hearing loss, skin disability (presumed to be skin cancer), acquired psychiatric disorder (presumed to be PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21071840
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 21071840.
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's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.