The Veteran's family is seeking reimbursement for private hospital expenses due to his death, which they believe was caused by negligence or carelessness in the provision of medical care. The case must be remanded for further development and adjudication.
The deciding factor: The claim is intertwined with a potential claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, and thus requires consideration of whether negligence or carelessness resulted in the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal bleed
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2015
- Citation
- 1537971
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1537971.
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: Granted
The Board has granted payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred from January 13, 2017, to January 17, 2017, at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital due to the Veteran's emergency treatment for a gastrointestinal bleed. The decision is based on the Veteran receiving VA care within the 24-month period preceding his non-VA emergency treatment.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for payment of non-VA emergency medical services provided at Sarasota Memorial Hospital is granted as his condition required continued emergency treatment and no VA facility was feasibly available to receive a transfer.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for cause of death due to new and material evidence submitted by the appellant. The Veteran's cause of death was caused by gastrointestinal bleed, esophageal varices, hepatocellular carcinoma, end stage liver disease, and liver cirrhosis.,The appellant contends that the Veteran's hepatitis C may be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or due to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam. The Board finds a remand necessary for an addendum opinion on both issues.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA opinion regarding the Veteran's cervical spine fracture and its potential contribution to his cause of death.
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