The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed substantially or materially to his death, including from alcoholism.
The deciding factor: The VA physician's assistant provided inadequate opinions that did not address the requested inquiries by the Board's prior remand instructions.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal bleeding, Esophageal varices, Cirrhosis of the liver
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2015
- Citation
- 1507289
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 1507289.
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 claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's military service and his death from gastrointestinal bleeding and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for Hepatitis C and Cirrhosis of the liver were dismissed due to procedural deficiencies. The claims of entitlement to service connection for arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, and bilateral lower extremity non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder, and also awarded service connection for cirrhosis of the liver on an aggravation basis due to the Veteran's bipolar disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a need for additional evidence, specifically the Veteran's complete service treatment records and service personnel records.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.