The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to metastatic colon carcinoma, but remanded for further development as a medical opinion is needed regarding whether his service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to cause his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found new and material evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, thus reopening it. However, the claim remains pending due to the need for a medical opinion on the contribution of service-connected conditions to the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic colon carcinoma, diabetes mellitus, hypertensive cardiovascular disease with angina syndrome and renal insufficiency, diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral leg, bilateral cataracts and diabetic neuropathy, sarcoidosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2018
- Citation
- 18131970
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 18131970.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular Aid and Attendance is granted as of April 25, 2024.,For diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
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