The Board has remanded the DIC claim due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and the relationship between service-connected conditions and the Veteran's death. The VA needs to obtain new opinions addressing these issues.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for additional medical opinions that address the specific concerns raised by the Ward v. Wilkie case, which affects the Veteran’s claim.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory failure, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), atriial fibrillation, sick sinus syndrome, severe peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, right middle cerebral artery stroke
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20073089
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's acute hypoxemia, respiratory failure, and pneumonia were related to service or toxic exposure under the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of the 10 percent evaluation for left knee meniscus, effective April 21, 2025, and an additional 20 percent rating was also granted.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased (Level 2) stipend in the PCAFC for the Veteran's caregiver due to the need for continuous supervision and protection based on the Veteran's medical conditions.
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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.