The Board has determined that the February 1998 rating decision denying service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death did not become final, and therefore, the claim needed to be reopened. The case was remanded for a VA examiner to provide an opinion on whether COPD and/or adenocarcinoma of the stomach are related to service including herbicide exposure, and if they contributed substantially or materially to cause the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the December 2016 VA examination report did not address the inquiries regarding the relationship between the Veteran’s COPD and adenocarcinoma of the stomach with his period of service including in-service herbicide exposure, and whether they contributed substantially or materially to cause death.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, adenocarcinoma of the stomach
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19185700
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 19185700.
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 COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's respiratory condition and his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a TDIU, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date earlier than August 10, 2022, for the grant of a 60 percent rating for sarcoidosis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD.
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