The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for the cause of death due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of a clear rationale in the previous VA opinion. The Veteran's cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest due to renal failure and hypertension, but there is uncertainty about whether his psychiatric condition contributed to these issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2019 VA opinion was inadequate as it did not reconcile the inconsistent findings on the status of the Veteran's hypertension and failed to consider or provide an opinion regarding the impact of the Veteran’s medications, including Prozac and Fluoxetine, on his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder, Alzheimer's dementia, Psychosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20038818
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 20038818.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder does not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or confined to his home, thus SMC based on housebound status and/or need for regular aid and attendance is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, as secondary to his already service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to his in-service harassment. Service connection was denied for a binge eating disorder as there is no evidence of such a condition.
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