The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death, and to obtain any outstanding VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: There is evidence of possible relationship between the Veteran's death from coronary heart disease and his service-connected disabilities, necessitating a medical opinion on this question.
- Claimed conditions
- left hip fracture and shortening of the left leg, left knee disability with traumatic arthritis, traumatic arthritis of the lumbar spine, traumatic arthritis of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 25, 2016
- Citation
- 1644449
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 1644449.
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 left foot condition, diagnosed as plantar fasciitis with callosities, is rated at 20 percent. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted based on the current evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA's carelessness, negligence, or lack of proper skill in providing post-surgical treatment for the Veteran's left leg and ankle condition proximately caused additional disabilities. The case is being remanded to allow for a thorough review of the medical records and an appropriate clinician's opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied due to his failure to report for VA examinations, and the claim for TDIU was considered abandoned.
- Denied
The Veteran's application for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was granted effective August 1, 2016. The Board denied an earlier effective date prior to this date.
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