The Veteran died in an automobile rollover mishap due to blunt head, neck, and chest trauma. The cause of death was attributed to the accident, but a significant condition contributing to his death was his blood alcohol level at 0.09 percent. The appellant argues that the Veteran's death was caused by an episode of retinal detachment in his right eye.
The deciding factor: The examiner found it unlikely that the service-connected retinal detachment of the right eye either caused or contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death due to the significant condition at death being the blood alcohol level.
- Claimed conditions
- retinal detachment right eye
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2018
- Citation
- 1826271
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 1826271.
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
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