The Veteran's death is attributable to a service-connected or compensable disability, and the VA must make reasonable efforts to obtain relevant medical records from SSA and Scott and White Memorial Hospital.
The deciding factor: VA failed to meet its duty to assist by not making reasonable efforts to obtain private medical records from Scott and White Memorial Hospital related to the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- unknown
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19195979
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 19195979.
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.
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The Veteran's spouse K. and son D. were added to his compensation award effective November 19, 2012. The Board found that the criteria for an earlier effective date of November 19, 2012 have been met.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for VR&E benefits was denied due to her failure to cooperate in the initial evaluation. The Board has determined that there is a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands the case for an appropriate evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the eligibility determination for PCAFC benefits is legally inadequate and requires a more detailed medical opinion to support the decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the procedural error in placing the Veteran's appeal on the AMA Hearing Docket is not jurisdictional and waives its use. The matter is now REMANDED for issuance of a Statement of the Case on the timeliness issue.
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