The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death. However, the case is being remanded as further medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's cause of death was related to his in-service arrhythmias and subsequent cardiac ablation procedure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence has been received which raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. However, due to conflicting opinions and lack of definitive medical documentation linking the Veteran’s cause of death directly to service-connected conditions, further clarification is needed from an electrophysicocardiologist.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiac arrhythmia/bradycardia with hx prior ablation 1998, right heart failure, RBBB, prolonged QT, AMI, leukocytosis, acute change in mental status, diaphoresis, severe dyspnea, massive pulmonary emboli
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19125570
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and leukocytosis, finding no medical link between these conditions and his active-duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for further development to correct a duty to assist error. A new TERA memorandum considering all periods of service must be obtained.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including acute organ dysfunction, frostbite to bilateral hands and feet, hernia, high glucose, nicotine dependence, spleen not visualized, watery eyes and runny nose disorder, leukocytosis, vomiting, a respiratory disorder (to include as due to exposure to asbestos), and an acquired psychiatric disability (including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol abuse disorder).
- Granted
The veteran received emergency medical care for chest pain and other symptoms. The VA facilities were not feasibly available, and the veteran was enrolled in the VA health care system. He is financially liable to the providers of the emergency transportation and treatment.
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