The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's soft-tissue sarcoma, which caused his death, was related to service or any incident therein, including herbicide exposure. The claim will be readjudicated after obtaining this information.
The deciding factor: A VA medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's soft-tissue sarcoma, diagnosed post-service and identified as the cause of his death, was caused by events during his military service or any incident therein, including herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- soft-tissue sarcoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2021
- Citation
- 21028734
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 21028734.
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 request for readjudication of a prior denial of service connection for soft-tissue sarcoma is granted. The claim for service connection for residuals of soft-tissue sarcoma is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional VA medical opinions to determine if his death was related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and soft-tissue sarcoma, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient medical evidence to link the conditions to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease and soft-tissue sarcoma due to in-service herbicide agent exposure, as further research is needed to verify his claimed exposures.
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