The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of death and burial benefits due to potential issues with the medical opinion regarding Agent Orange exposure and its relation to the Veteran's pancreatic cancer.
The deciding factor: Additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran’s exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) contributed to his fatal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, given his medical history and other risk factors.
- Claimed conditions
- disseminated intravascular coagulation, adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, hypotension, acute renal failure/shock liver
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18142487
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 18142487.
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.
- Dismissed
The claim for entitlement to service connection for hypotension was dismissed, and the issue of entitlement to service connection for hypertensive cardiovascular disease was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a new opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all service connection claims for additional development, including obtaining a TERA memorandum and new medical opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for multiple disabilities, including right and left wrist, hand, hip, ankle, elbow, respiratory, chest pain, hypotension, and throat conditions. However, the Board granted service connection for a respiratory disability, diagnosed as dyspnea.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.