The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his service-connected conditions contributed to it.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a VA medical opinion is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's death, including whether his service-connected conditions caused or contributed to it.
- Claimed conditions
- sudden cardiac death, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dyslipidemia, HIV
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2013
- Citation
- 1337845
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 1337845.
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 service connection for hypothyroidism, Reiter's disease, dyslipidemia, GERD, diabetes mellitus type II, and osteoarthrosis as there was no current diagnosis of these conditions during or contemporaneous to the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for TDIU prior to October 18, 2018 due to a lack of evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension is related to herbicide exposure during service and contributed substantially to his cause of death.,Service connection for both hypertension and the cause of death (hypertensive cardiovascular disease) is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other spontaneous pneumothorax status post thoracotomy is rated as 100% disabling since February 28, 2024. His major depressive disorder is separately rated at 70%. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) due to his service-connected disabilities.
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