The Veteran's death is being reviewed due to his service-connected interstitial lung disease, which the Board finds may be related to his rheumatoid arthritis. The case must be remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cause of death appears to be linked to his service-connected interstitial lung disease, which may have been caused by his rheumatoid arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- end stage glenohumeral degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, residuals of a fracture of the right fibula, post-operative cholecystectomy, fracture of the right mandible, interstitial lung disease (caused by rheumatoid arthritis)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2014
- Citation
- 1420009
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 1420009.
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 claim for a compensable rating for residuals from a fracture of the right mandible and extraction of tooth number 32 is granted. His claim for service connection for tonsillitis, bilateral callosities, and PTSD are all granted with appropriate ratings. The claim for a compensable rating for residuals of a laceration of the right fifth finger is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's post-operative cholecystectomy has been productive of mild symptoms, warranting a 10% rating.
- Granted
The veteran's right thumb disorder is now rated at 20 percent disabling, effective August 5, 2006. The other claims are denied.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected fracture of the right mandible does not warrant an increased rating, as there is no significant impairment to his masticatory function or motion.
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