The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions or exposure to asbestos in service caused his death. The appellant is also provided with new notice letter and an opportunity to submit additional evidence.
The deciding factor: A VA physician will provide an etiology opinion on whether there is a 50 percent probability or greater that the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, exposure to asbestos in service, or presumed exposure to Agent Orange caused his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, coronary artery disease, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), end stage lung disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2012
- Citation
- 1221594
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 1221594.
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 claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
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