The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to new and material evidence, but the issue is remanded for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records from Panama City, Florida and providing a medical opinion on the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The claim was reopened based on new evidence that suggests the Veteran's death may have been related to his service-connected disabilities rather than solely due to alcohol abuse.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder, Bilateral shoulder disability, Left wrist disability, Bilateral knee disability, Bilateral hearing loss disability, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18121040
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18121040.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder does not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or confined to his home, thus SMC based on housebound status and/or need for regular aid and attendance is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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