The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence to determine whether service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's cause of death or if his exposure to herbicides in service caused his heart or pulmonary disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory Failure, Pulmonary Hypertension, Right Heart Failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069794
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 Board denied service connection for congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis as these conditions were not related to the Veteran's service, including his exposure to Agent Orange.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, pulmonary hypertension, and congestive heart failure, all as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected asthma and OSA.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to metastatic renal cell cancer, which was related to his in-service exposure to herbicides.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's pulmonary hypertension is due to service-connected asbestosis, but his arteriosclerotic heart disease is not related to the service-connected condition.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.