The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the underlying claims can be adjudicated on the merits. The appellant was substituted as the claimant with respect to the above-captioned claims in January 2015, and VA must develop and adjudicate the claims at issue as if the appellant were standing in the shoes of the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the underlying claims can be adjudicated on the merits due to the need for obtaining relevant medical records from Dr. Zoelle and SSA records.
- Claimed conditions
- colon cancer, liver cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2016
- Citation
- 1604976
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 1604976.
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 Board has granted service connection for intestinal cancer, liver cancer, and a liver biopsy surgical scar as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected intestinal cancer.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of liver cancer has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for liver cancer and an increased rating for irritable bowel syndrome has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of death and its relation to service. The Veteran's atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and colon cancer are being evaluated for their relationship to toxic exposure during service.
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