The Board has determined that further development of the medical evidence is required to determine if the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee degenerative arthritis contributed to his death. The case is REMANDED for this purpose.
The deciding factor: Further development of the medical records, including inpatient care records from Loma Linda University Medical Center, is needed to assess whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee degenerative arthritis was a contributory cause of his death or materially hastened it.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, bilateral knee degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1801319
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 1801319.
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.
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The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches with an initial rating of 50 percent effective from August 10, 2022, and denied the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, kidney disability, low back disability, and erectile dysfunction.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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