The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and payment of nonservice-connected death pension benefits as a helpless child.
The deciding factor: Further development is necessary to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents, environmental hazards, or other factors that may have contributed to his cause of death. Additionally, information regarding the appellant's income and expenses for the years on appeal is needed to determine if he qualifies for nonservice-connected death pension benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- cardio respiratory arrest, emphysema hypoxia, pulmonary hypertension
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19163677
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19163677.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's respiratory conditions, including pulmonary hypertension and hypoxia (claimed as asbestosis), are related to his service exposure. However, due to potential additional exposures during civilian employment, a remand is required for further examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ erred in not obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents caused his cardiogenic shock, valvular heart disease, and/or pulmonary hypertension. The case is being remanded for this purpose.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's essential hypertension and pulmonary hypertension are aggravated by his service-connected cardiac arrhythmia.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death due to the Veteran's service-connected cardiac disability, and dismissed the DIC claim as moot.
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