The Board has decided the claim of service connection for cause of death on its merits, but it is now remanded to determine if the appellant is a proper claimant under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not have wartime service in Vietnam and therefore does not qualify for VA death pension benefits based on his son's eligibility as a child. The appellant needs to be determined as a proper claimant before proceeding with the cause of death claim.
- Claimed conditions
- cause of death
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2008
- Citation
- 0831778
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 0831778.
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
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal because the Appellant did not specify which specific decision or issue she disagreed with, specifically regarding her claim for service connection related to Camp Lejeune exposure.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has already granted service connection for the cause of death in a previous decision, and no new issues are pending. The current appeal is dismissed.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is dismissed due to concurrent election.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 1, 2014 for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) based on the appellant's claim received within one year following the Veteran's death.
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