The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and requests for additional records, particularly Social Security Administration records. The Veteran's cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, which is being reviewed by a new medical examiner.
The deciding factor: A new medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran’s dilated cardiomyopathy is related to service or herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- dilated cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19163382
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 19163382.
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 service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as the evidence did not show that the causes of his death were related to service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's heart disorder and his military service, as well as whether it is related to or aggravated by his service-connected asbestosis.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to sarcoidosis has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, including a VA medical opinion to address whether the service-connected back disability contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death.
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.