The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with the May 2019 remand directives to verify the Veteran’s alleged exposure to asbestos and toxic chemicals during service. The appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a physician regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was not substantial compliance with the May 2019 remand directives to verify the Veteran’s alleged exposure to asbestos and toxic chemicals during service. The appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a physician regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute respiratory failure, Pneumonia, Atrial fibrillation, Superior vena cava syndrome, Sepsis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003782
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 congestive heart failure with implanted pacemaker, bradycardia, valvular heart disease, and atrial fibrillation, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing toxic exposures during service and submitted medical literature.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the claim for service connection of the Veteran's cause of death due to a lack of adequate medical evidence regarding the potential nexus between atrial fibrillation and in-service exposure, as well as other service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD, atrial fibrillation as secondary to hypertension, and congestive heart failure with cardiomyopathy and ventricular hypertrophy as secondary to hypertension.
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