The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether service caused or contributed to the Veteran's death, specifically related to presumed exposure to Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a medical opinion is needed to determine if any activity during the Veteran’s time in service, including presumed exposure to herbicide (Agent Orange) while stationed in Vietnam, either caused or contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- bone metastases, metastatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19117268
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
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 19117268.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's throat cancer, which was caused by asbestos exposure in service, led to his fatal metastatic cancer. The VA is instructed to obtain a new VA opinion addressing these theories.
- Whole decision: Granted
Entitlement to an earlier effective date of July 11, 2024 for the award of service connection for prostate cancer is granted.,Entitlement to an earlier effective date of July 11, 2024 for the award of service connection for bone metastases, to include as secondary to prostate cancer, is granted.,Entitlement to an earlier effective date of July 11, 2024 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound criteria is granted.,Entitlement to an earlier effective date of February 27, 2023 for the award of a 20 percent disability rating for lumbar radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, to include diabetic peripheral neuropathy, peripheral polyneuropathy, and paresthesia of the feet, is granted.,Entitlement to an earlier effective date of February 27, 2023 for the award of a 20 percent disability rating for lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, to include diabetic peripheral neuropathy, peripheral polyneuropathy, and paresthesia of the feet, is granted.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death prior to a decision being made.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by metastatic cancer and transitional cell cancer of the bladder, which are presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Guam. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death based on this presumption.
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