The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed substantially or materially to his death, which is a critical factor in determining cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA physician did not provide an opinion on whether the service-connected disabilities had debilitating effects and general impairment that would have rendered the Veteran less capable of resisting the primary causes of death.
- Claimed conditions
- CAD (Coronary Artery Disease), Adenocarcinoma of the right lung in remission
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19167976
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 19167976.
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 Veteran's CAD warrants a 60 percent rating, but the Board has determined that an earlier effective date is warranted due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding direct service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 100 percent for CAD was granted effective November 28, 2023. The effective date is based on the date of a VA examination showing the increase in disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for CAD and remanded the issue of service connection for granulomatous disease.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a separate rating of 10 percent for implantation of cardiac pacemaker due to third degree atrioventricular block is granted. The minimum 10 percent rating is assigned under DC 7018, as the Veteran does not experience supraventricular arrhythmias or ventricular arrhythmias related to his service-connected heart disability and the symptomatology is already contemplated by the rating for CAD.
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