The Board has determined that the cause of death was septic shock, but is unable to make a fully informed decision on whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his death. The VA examiner will need to review all relevant medical records and provide an opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his death.
The deciding factor: The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision without additional evidence, specifically missing VA treatment records from March 2016 to April 2017.
- Claimed conditions
- frostbite of the feet, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20034365
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 20034365.
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 has identified errors in the rating decision and is remanding the case for further development to ensure all relevant evidence is considered.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective October 24, 2017. The attorney fees are eligible based on the past-due benefits awarded in the May 2021 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity and foot peripheral neuropathy, particularly in relation to herbicide agent exposure during service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were denied due to the late filing of the appeal requests, and thus the appeals are dismissed.
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