The Board has remanded the case due to failure to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) and presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents caused or contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran’s death.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease (CAD), malignant melanoma, ischemic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18156073
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 18156073.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board grants service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his period of active duty service. The claims for ischemic heart disease, aortic valve replacement, status post aortic stenosis, and peripheral vascular disease with popliteal aneurysm are remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot bursitis and coronary artery disease, as well as special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and remanded the claim for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, as the previous opinions were found inadequate.
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