The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for the cause of death and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: Insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran’s presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, which is a necessary factor for service connection based on presumptive exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular diseases, congestive heart failure, end stage renal disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19165885
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 19165885.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death, as there is no substituted appellant for this appeal.
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