The Board has ordered additional development to obtain service treatment records and Social Security Administration records, as well as a medical opinion regarding the cause of death. The Veteran's death was attributed to encephalopathy due to hypertension, but it is unclear whether his service-connected conditions contributed to this outcome.
The deciding factor: The Board found that further evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Encephalopathy, Kidney disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2009
- Citation
- 0943903
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 0943903.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a kidney cyst (claimed as kidney abscess), kidney cancer, kidney disease, and benign prostatic hyperplasia due to lack of evidence supporting a link between these conditions and his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for kidney disease, GERD, bilateral knee condition, and bilateral arm condition. The TDIU claim was remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for non-allergic rhinitis, lung nodules, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus due to herbicide agent exposure. The claims for an ocular disorder and kidney disease were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for liver transplant, kidney disease, and heart failure due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure and medical records.
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