The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the cause of death, specifically addressing all service-connected disabilities and medications used to treat them.
The deciding factor: The examiner failed to provide opinions on the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and medications with his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory failure, Pneumonia, Critical aortic stenosis, Congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18160758
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 18160758.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no competent evidence linking any principal or contributory cause of his death to his service.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the (r)(1) rate due to his service-connected major depressive disorder and congestive heart failure, which require regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart conditions may be related to his service-connected sleep apnea and/or generalized anxiety disorder, but further examination is needed to determine causation.
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