The Board has granted the petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for cause of death, but has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided is inadequate and does not support a conclusion that the Veteran’s death was caused by his in-service herbicide exposure or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board finds additional medical examination necessary to address this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- nasopharyngeal cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20037672
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20037672.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a VA medical opinion to determine the likely etiology of the Veteran's nasopharyngeal cancer, including whether it is related to his service or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for nasopharyngeal cancer, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for nasopharyngeal cancer, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether it is related to military service, specifically herbicide exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, right and left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, degenerative disc disease with osteoporosis ('back disability'), and remanded the claim of service connection for nasopharyngeal cancer as due to exposure toxins for the period prior to August 10, 2022.
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