The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's death was caused by Agent Orange exposure and smoking history.
The deciding factor: The decision is remanded because there are conflicting medical opinions on the cause of the Veteran’s death and its relation to service connection for Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- oropharyngeal carcinoma, malignant tumor of the hypopharynx
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20013291
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20013291.
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 has jurisdiction to consider the merits of the appeal for oropharyngeal carcinoma under the legacy appeals system, finding that the December 2018 Notice of Disagreement was adequate and timely.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for oropharyngeal carcinoma, related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, is granted. The Board found that the evidence supports a causal link between the Veteran's exposure and his cancer.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to oropharyngeal carcinoma, which is presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure during service.,The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 was dismissed as the cause of death was already established through service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board found no evidence to support a claim that Agent Orange exposure contributed to his oropharyngeal carcinoma. The cause of death listed on the death certificate is smoking.
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