The Board has determined that a medical opinion is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death and whether his service-connected anxiety was a contributory cause of his death. The case is REMANDED for these actions.
The deciding factor: A VA physician needs to provide an opinion as to whether there is at least a 50 percent probability or greater that the Veteran's cause of death, congestive heart failure and cor pulmonale, was incurred in or aggravated by active service. The physician should also offer an opinion as to whether there is at least a 50 percent probability or greater that the Veteran's anxiety disorder was a principal or contributory cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- congestive heart failure, cor pulmonale
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2010
- Citation
- 1017058
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 1017058.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a new opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
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