The Veteran's death was attributed to respiratory failure due to COPD, congestive heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease. The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion regarding whether his coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II contributed to his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The August 2012 private hospital records noted stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease and the Veteran was being evaluated for hemodialysis, which contradicts the February 2018 medical opinion that stated the Veteran's coronary artery disease was stable.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19159579
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 19159579.
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 claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
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