The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death is related to his exposure to radiation or chemicals at Johnston Atoll.
The deciding factor: The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision without an advisory medical opinion on the relationship between the Veteran’s cause of death and his documented exposure to radiation or chemicals at Johnston Atoll.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiopulmonary arrest, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the face
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2021
- Citation
- 21009934
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 21009934.
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 claim for TDIU was denied as the evidence did not establish that he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's death was linked to his service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Veteran's causes of death were not found to be service-connected, as there was no credible evidence linking the conditions to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.
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