The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for DEA benefits is inextricably intertwined with her service connection claim for cause of death. The case must be remanded to obtain updated medical records and a VA opinion regarding whether any disability related to service contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran’s death, including if it was due to Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The appellant's claim is inextricably intertwined with her service connection claim for cause of death. The case must be remanded to obtain updated medical records and a VA opinion regarding whether any disability related to service contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran’s death, including if it was due to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Agent Orange exposure, stroke
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19108706
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 19108706.
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 veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, except for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability which were granted. The veteran was also granted service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right middle knuckle disability, dry eye syndrome, bilateral foot disability, cervical spine disability, radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and anxiety disorder. The claim for a stroke was denied, as well as an increased rating for respiratory disability prior to December 8, 2021.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, chronic sinusitis, recurrent bronchitis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, myocardial infarction, sleep apnea, stroke, right ear hearing loss, and hemorrhoids. The Veteran was also denied a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss.
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