The appeal to reopen a claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is granted. The case is remanded for further evaluation regarding potential service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: New evidence has raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, but further medical opinion is needed to determine if any lung disability at the time of death was related to service or herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- old granulomatous disease, multiple internal injuries
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19100370
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19100370.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's respiratory disorder, including restrictive lung disease, old granulomatous disease and emphysema, is granted as service connected. The issues of entitlement to an increased rating for otitis externa and service connection for tinnitus are remanded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory condition, specifically shortness of breath. The Veteran claims service connection for this disability but his STRs do not show any relevant treatment or diagnosis after October 1980. A new examination is needed to determine if there is a link between the current condition and his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected inactive tuberculosis with old granulomatous disease is denied as there are no residuals of the condition that would warrant a compensable rating.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected old granulomatous disease, inflammatory airway disease, and sleep apnea is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination. The Veteran also needs to provide information about any non-VA healthcare providers who have treated him for these conditions.
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