The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The AOJ must attempt to verify the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and Vietnam, or determine that such information does not exist.
The deciding factor: The Board identified a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2024
- Citation
- A24038617
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 A24038617.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's current coronary artery disease with acute, subacute, or old myocardial infarction with coronary stent is being remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of a medical nexus between his service-connected hypertension and his heart condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance from June 1, 2011, to May 24, 2017, finding that his need for regular aid and attendance was not established during this period.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and obstructive sleep apnea have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence for the claims of service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The AOJ is required to readjudicate these claims, taking into consideration all submitted evidence.
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