The Board has determined that the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 have not been met, and thus DIC benefits are denied. The Veteran's death is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his underlying causes and significant conditions contributing to death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met, as the Veteran did not meet the duration requirements for a total disability rating at the time of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute end-stage pulmonary fibrosis, Hypotension, NSTEMI (Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20079241
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 20079241.
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 cause of death was hemorrhagic shock with multiorgan failure and acute gastrointestinal bleed, which the Board found not related to his military service or exposure to toxic chemicals. The claim for service connection for cause of death is denied.
- Partly granted
The appeal for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was denied, while the service connection claim for hypotension was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an increased rating for eye disability and service connection for hypotension to correct duty to assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ failed to properly develop the Veteran's claim for service connection for his cause of death and toxic exposure during service at MCAS Cherry Point. The case is being remanded to obtain an Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) and a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA) opinion.
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