The Board has ordered the VA to obtain medical records from Providence Hospital and request authorization for these records. A supplemental opinion is also needed regarding whether metal fragments in the veteran's face caused or contributed to his death, including by causing mouth cancer.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there are missing medical records from a specific time period and ordered their retrieval. Additionally, they requested an expert opinion on the cause of the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- mouth cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2006
- Citation
- 0607072
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 Board granted service connection for mouth, throat, and esophagus cancer based on an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence indicating the cancers were incurred in service.
- Granted
The veteran's mouth cancer is service-connected as it is attributable to presumed herbicide exposure during his active military service.
- 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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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.