The Veteran's death was attributed to metastatic renal cell carcinoma, with significant contributing conditions being heart failure and PTSD. The appellant is seeking service connection for the cause of her husband's death due to ischemic heart disease, which she alleges should have been service-connected based on exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion was requested to determine whether the Veteran's ischemic heart disease contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic renal cell carcinoma, heart failure, chronic obstructive heart disease, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2014
- Citation
- 1444130
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 1444130.
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
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The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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