The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether Buerger's disease is related to peripheral vascular disease. The VA will obtain a new medical opinion and then readjudicate the claim.
The deciding factor: The June 2019 medical opinion was found to be inadequate for rating purposes due to its failure to reconcile with the medical records showing a diagnosis of Buerger's disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Buerger's disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19183261
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 remands the case for a medical opinion from a physician specializing in environmental health and toxic exposures to address the etiology of the Veteran's Buerger's disease, specifically regarding its relation to service and exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a medical opinion from a physician specializing in environmental health and toxic exposures regarding the etiology of the Veteran's Buerger's disease, specifically whether it is related to his service or exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death as there was insufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran had service in Vietnam, and even if he did, the preponderance of the evidence is against the finding that it caused or contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and records. The appellant seeks service connection for the cause of her husband's death due to his service-connected conditions.
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