The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and additional development is necessary before a decision may be rendered on the appealed issues of service connection for cause of the Veteran's death; and entitlement to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to render an opinion on whether the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities contributed to his death, as instructed by the April 2017 Board remand.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral vascular disease, arteriosclerotic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19143573
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 multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for various conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for blood clots to afford the Veteran a VA examination and obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his condition, as he has a history of lower extremity blood clots and participated in toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for Parkinson's disease, emphysema, muscle cramps, bilateral shoulder disability, and neck disability. However, it granted service connection for peripheral vascular disease and asthma.
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