The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an opinion is necessary regarding whether coronary artery disease, which was presumed due to herbicide agent exposure in service, caused or aggravated congestive heart failure, respiratory issues, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The opinions are also needed to determine if any of these conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, respiratory failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20002181
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
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