The veteran's death was caused by sepsis due to staphylococcus infection, and other significant conditions contributing to his death were COPD, diabetes, vascular Dementia, Alzheimer's Dementia, prostate cancer, and myocardial infarction. The Board is remanding the case for further development including a file review by an appropriate examiner to determine if there is a causal nexus between any service-related event and the cause of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Board needs to determine whether the veteran engaged in combat with the enemy during service, which would allow VA to proceed with appellate review. If so, further evidence from private physicians treating the veteran after discharge may be necessary to ascertain the etiology of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- sepsis, staphylococcus infection, urinary tract infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, vascular Dementia, Alzheimer's Dementia, history of prostate cancer, myocardial infarction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 11, 2008
- Citation
- 0830858
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0830858.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
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