The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically failing to provide a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's esophageal adenocarcinoma and his active duty service.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the failure of the RO to provide an adequate examination and medical opinion as required by law when there is evidence of a current disability that may be related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal adenocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2021
- Citation
- A21018565
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 A21018565.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death due to esophageal adenocarcinoma, which was linked to presumed herbicide agent exposure during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the link between the Veteran's esophageal adenocarcinoma and his exposure to Agent Orange during service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for esophageal adenocarcinoma based on the Veteran's exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, sleep disorder, GERD, and esophageal adenocarcinoma due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran will receive a new examination.
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