The Board remands the matter of service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to inadequate medical opinion regarding preexisting condition and its aggravation during active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was found inadequate as it did not address whether there is clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's clival chordoma clearly and unmistakably was not aggravated by his active service, and the rationale provided was based on a 'as likely as not' standard rather than the required certainty.
- Claimed conditions
- clival chordoma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21062793
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.