The Veteran's death is not service-connected, but the appellant seeks burial benefits based on a service-connected cause of death. The Board finds an inadequate medical opinion and requires a new one to determine if in-service conditions contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The provided medical opinion did not address whether the in-service conditions contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran’s death, which is required by law.
- Claimed conditions
- cold exposure, prominent right pulmonary artery and right hilar enlargement
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19185659
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
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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.