The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for carcinoma of the bladder, including as due to Gulf War exposures. The Veteran's claims were denied previously and new evidence was submitted within a year of those decisions. A VA examiner is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's bladder cancer considering his in-service exposures and other relevant factors.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous denials did not become final due to new evidence, but the claim needs further examination as some of the provided articles and opinions are insufficient for a determination.
- Claimed conditions
- carcinoma of the bladder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21030672
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 21030672.
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 granted an earlier effective date of January 1, 2009 for the veteran's Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits. The decision was based on the veteran's presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam and the subsequent inclusion of bladder cancer as a presumptive disease.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the effective date for DIC based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death should be November 1, 2013, as this is the earliest allowable effective date based on the relevant law and regulation pertaining to DIC claims. The appellant’s October 2013 claim was interpreted by the AOJ as including a claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for carcinoma of the bladder (also claimed as bladder cancer) is granted due to presumed exposure in the Gulf War.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for carcinoma of the bladder is granted. The case is remanded due to new evidence suggesting a possible link between the condition and in-service exposure to toxic chemicals, but not herbicide agents. Bilateral hearing loss is also remanded.
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