The Board has partially vacated the decision regarding reopening service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to new evidence. The claim is now reopened, and the case is remanded for further development including a VA opinion on whether Agent Orange exposure or PTSD contributed to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: New evidence from Dr. MB suggests that the Veteran's liver cancer may be related to herbicide exposure, which requires a VA opinion to determine causation.
- Claimed conditions
- multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19184768
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 hepatitis C, jaundice, hypogeusia, and hyposmia as there was no evidence of a current disability during the pendency of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the claim for a heart disability due to insufficient evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hepatitis C, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected hepatitis C due to an inadequate VA examination and medical opinions.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.