The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient explanation of the duties of the hearing officer and the need for evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claim. The appellant needs to submit evidence linking the Veteran’s active service to his diabetes mellitus, which then links it to his congestive heart failure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the appellant was not fully informed about the necessary evidence needed to establish service connection for the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes Mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19146350
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 increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence of the severity required for higher ratings.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis as these conditions were not related to the Veteran's service, including his exposure to Agent Orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for his diabetes mellitus, a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, and a total disability rating due to service-connected disabilities.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.