The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and clarifying the appellant's claims. The Veteran died from multiple underlying conditions, but his service-connected lumbar spine disability or medication may have contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The cause of death was listed as ventricular fibrillation, with severe hypoxemia, aspiration pneumonitis, end stage renal disease, and chronic ischemic heart disease as contributing factors. The Veteran had a history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, which were not service-connected at the time of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- severe hypoxemia, aspiration pneumonitis, end stage renal disease, chronic ischemic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2011
- Citation
- 1133923
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 1133923.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by end stage renal disease, which the VA clinician concluded was due to his hypertension. The private clinician opined that the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange in service, along with service-connected PTSD, caused the development of his hypertension and contributed substantially to his end stage renal disease.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by end stage renal disease, which the VA clinician concluded was due to his hypertension. The private clinician opined that the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange in service, along with service-connected PTSD, caused the development of his hypertension and contributed substantially to his end stage renal disease.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by end stage renal disease, which the VA clinician concluded was due to his hypertension. The private clinician opined that the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange in service, along with service-connected PTSD, caused the development of his hypertension and contributed substantially to his end stage renal disease.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection of end stage renal disease and ureterolithiasis is dismissed due to the death of the appellant while the appeal was pending.
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