The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's exposure during service contributed to his death. The examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion addressing this issue.
The deciding factor: The examiner needs to determine if the Veteran's exposure during service, particularly removing dead animals from under homes and tiles, contributed to his cause of death (hypoxemia, generalized weakness, bladder cancer with metastases to the liver).
- Claimed conditions
- hypoxemia, generalized weakness, bladder cancer with metastases to the liver
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2021
- Citation
- A21019468
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 A21019468.
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 Veteran's cause of death, including pneumonia, hypoxemia, and esophageal cancer, is determined to be related to herbicide agent exposure during service. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of ambulance transportation to a VA Medical Center on July 1, 2024 was denied because it was received more than 30 days after the travel. The appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including respiratory issues, sleep apnea, skin conditions, and shaking, due to deficiencies in the medical nexus opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death pursuant to the PACT Act on a presumptive basis.
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