The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his diabetes or exposure to herbicides contributed to it. The case will be remanded for further action.
The deciding factor: An opinion is needed regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cause of death, including whether his diabetes involved an active process affecting a vital organ and resulted in debilitating effects that would render him less capable of resisting other disease or injury primarily causing death. Additionally, an opinion on whether his exposure to herbicides caused his small intestine malignant melanoma is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes, small intestine malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2015
- Citation
- 1513215
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 1513215.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune during service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection were dismissed due to his death.
- Denied
The Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss claims are denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran's high cholesterol, dementia, stroke, prostate cancer, cataracts, diabetes, hypertension, CHF, and myocardial infarction claims are denied due to lack of service connection evidence or insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the disabilities and active duty service.,The Veteran was exposed to toxins during his military service but there is no evidence linking these exposures to any of the claimed conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal concerning diabetes and a low back disability has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
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