The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his death. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected left big toe ulceration and/or depression, and his respiratory failure, CAD, aspiration pneumonia, chronic lower extremity cellulitis, renal failure, and MRSA infection.
The deciding factor: The Board requires a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s service-connected conditions contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- left big toe ulceration, depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20006986
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 claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, knee and wrist joint pains, neck pain, anxiety, depression, as further development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and denied service connection for a lower back disorder. The claims for depression, substance abuse disorder, and a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.
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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.