The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death is related to his service, particularly asbestos exposure. The VA must obtain additional medical opinions and relevant treatment records.
The deciding factor: The VA needs a new opinion on whether the Veteran’s cause of death was related to his active service, including asbestos exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Systemic Sclerosis, Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure, Community-acquired Non-aspiration Pneumonia (presumed bacterial pneumonia), Acute Renal Failure, Lower Gastrointestinal Bleed
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003358
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or aggravated his cardiovascular diseases, which were listed as contributing causes of death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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