The Board has determined that the Veteran's death certificate shows he died from pneumonia, COPD, and history of congestive heart failure. The appellant contends that his service-connected PTSD contributed to his death. The Board finds it necessary to obtain the Veteran's inpatient terminal records from the Oklahoma Veterans Center for a proper decision.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was service-connected at the time of his death, and VA records are essential to determine if his service-connected PTSD contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), history of congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2010
- Citation
- 1041971
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1041971.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.
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