The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The matter is being remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the cause of death, including emphysema and mouth cancer, was related to service, including exposure to herbicides.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection but further evaluation by a medical professional is needed to determine if the Veteran's cause of death was related to his service, including exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- Emphysema, Mouth cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19116534
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 19116534.
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 Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, ischemic heart disease (IHD), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent placement as secondary to IHD, hypertensive heart disease, and emphysema. The COPD claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for mantle cell lymphoma, emphysema, diabetes mellitus, Type II, bilateral foot neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and antisocial personality disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a respiratory disability to include COPD, emphysema, and restrictive lung disease for further development as the RO did not substantially comply with previous Board directives.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) prior to June 12, 2024, and denied all other claims including service connection for various respiratory conditions.
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