The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's cause of death and the appellant's income for nonservice-connected survivor pension benefits. The claim is being returned for further development.
The deciding factor: The decision was not about service connection, but rather about determining whether the Veteran’s cause of death was related to his military service, including exposure to ionizing radiation during Operation CROSSROADS. Additionally, there are inconsistencies in the appellant's income information that need to be clarified.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiorespiratory arrest, Sepsis syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003372
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, agreeing that his military service was a contributing factor in his death.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to, a disability incurred in or aggravated by active service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death as there was no evidence that any of the claimed conditions were related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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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.