The Board remands the claims for service connection for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and right leg amputation, as secondary to PAD, due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding their etiology.
The deciding factor: The June 2024 medical opinion failed to address the Veteran's conceded exposure to Agent Orange and did not substantially comply with the Board's remand directives.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD), Right leg amputation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25024435
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 Board remands the claim for compensation under 38 USC 1151 for right leg amputation to obtain a new VA opinion based on a more complete evidentiary record.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for peripheral vascular disease (PVD) as secondarily aggravated by diabetes, right leg amputation and scar as secondary to PVD, and SMC for loss of use of the right foot. The evaluation in excess of 20 percent for diabetes was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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