The Veteran's cause of death was cerebral atherosclerosis and heart disease. The Board finds that a remand is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his cause of death, including considering articles submitted by the appellant.
The deciding factor: A VA medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his hypertension, which caused or contributed to his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- cerebral atherosclerosis, heart disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20033997
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 20033997.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, and low back pain due to potential errors in duty to assist. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicide agents and obtain private treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for artery disease, COPD, diabetes, and heart disease due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not have the required wartime service for pension benefits.
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