The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and special monthly compensation based on need of regular aid and attendance are all remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s claim for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the colon and intestines must be denied as a matter of law because it lacks legal merit, while other claims require further development with additional medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- colon cancer, degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome, sciatica affecting the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19128998
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19128998.
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 Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome was granted service connection as it is at least as likely as not secondary to his in-service injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of death and its relation to service. The Veteran's atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and colon cancer are being evaluated for their relationship to toxic exposure during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for colon cancer and liver cancer is granted due to the relationship between his in-service toxic exposures, including burn pits. His liver cancer was found to be related to his now service-connected colon cancer.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer, finding that his current diagnosis of colon cancer is related to toxic exposures in service and resolving any reasonable doubt in his favor.
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