The Board has requested an expert medical opinion regarding the cause of the veteran's death and is remanding the case for further review.
The deciding factor: The severity of the in-service brain/skull injury, combined with the veteran's service-connected conditions, may have contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic encephalopathy, Loss of part of the skull
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2006
- Citation
- 0638752
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 0638752.
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 has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's cause of death was related to his service, including his service in Vietnam. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether a psychiatric disorder and suicide are related to service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of traumatic encephalopathy warrant a rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of the decision.
- 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.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.