The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents caused or contributed to his death. The VA needs to obtain a medical opinion from an oncologist.
The deciding factor: Insufficient evidence was provided regarding the cause of the Veteran’s death and its relation to service connection for the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal carcinoma, metastases to the lungs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19130704
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (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 19130704.
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: Granted
The Board granted service connection for Barrett's esophagitis, GERD, and esophageal carcinoma based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during active service in Vietnam.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits due to unresolved issues regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work. The case will be referred to the Director, Compensation Service, for consideration of whether a higher effective date is warranted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a VA opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's esophageal carcinoma was caused by his in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for esophageal carcinoma and related conditions due to new evidence received, including VA examinations and treatment records. The TDIU claim is also being considered.
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