The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, but further development is needed to determine if there was a congenital heart defect that existed prior to service and whether it was aggravated by service. The case is being remanded for a VA medical opinion.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted since the last denial suggests the presence of a congenital atrial septal defect, but further clarification on its pre-service status and any aggravation during service is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- cause of death, atrial septal defect
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2014
- Citation
- 1405267
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 1405267.
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
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal because the Appellant did not specify which specific decision or issue she disagreed with, specifically regarding her claim for service connection related to Camp Lejeune exposure.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has already granted service connection for the cause of death in a previous decision, and no new issues are pending. The current appeal is dismissed.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is dismissed due to concurrent election.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 1, 2014 for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) based on the appellant's claim received within one year following the Veteran's death.
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