The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a duty-to-assist error in verifying the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his active-duty service.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to verify the Veteran's temporary duty assignments in Thailand and presence in Vietnam, which are necessary to establish presumptive service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes due to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease, Diabetes
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25036468
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 is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of ischemic heart disease and diabetes, and these claims are dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain new medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing his service in the Panama Canal Zone and potential exposure to toxins.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric condition and diabetes, to ensure that all relevant VA treatment records are associated with the claims file.
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