The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination to determine if any of the veteran's conditions, including those associated with his time as a POW, caused or contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: Incomplete medical records were identified that may contain information relevant to the cause of the veteran's death. The case is being remanded to obtain these records and for further examination by VA specialists.
- Claimed conditions
- Dengue fever, hepatitis, malaria, dysentery, pellagra, scurvy, beriberi, heart disease, avitaminosis, starvation, diverticulosis, osteoporosis with multiple fractures
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2004
- Citation
- 0403482
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 0403482.
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 claims for service connection for an eye condition, hearing loss, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes due to a regulatory duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hepatitis and diabetic nephropathy as the evidence did not show a current disability related to active duty service.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased disability evaluation of 100 percent for service-connected malaria, finding the evidence to be in approximate equipoise as to whether the Veteran's malaria was active during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diverticulosis, GERD, and hiatal hernia as the evidence did not show a link to an in-service disease or injury.
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