The Veteran's hypertension is granted as a result of the PACT Act, but his direct service connection for hypertension before August 10, 2022, and his PAD are remanded due to lack of medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran's hypertension is directly related to service prior to August 10, 2022. However, a VA examination is needed for both issues due to lack of medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive vascular disease (hypertension), arteriosclerosis obliterans (peripheral arterial disease left leg) (PAD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2023
- Citation
- A23029030
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 A23029030.
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, bilateral hip conditions, right hand condition, and OSA are all found to be related to his military service.,Service connection is granted for these conditions.
- Dismissed
Your claim for service connection for hypertension has been dismissed because you did not file a timely notice of disagreement within one year after the April 2022 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the ratings for left knee strain, right knee strain, hypertension, and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The appeal is dismissed as a result.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for bipolar and related disorders, but remanded claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and asthma.
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