The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether his hyperlipidemia was related to herbicide exposure during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the Veteran's complaints of chest pain in January and March 2016, which are relevant to determining if he had a heart condition that could be related to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiac arrhythmia, Hyperlipidemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21062814
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,874 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21062814.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance of another person or housebound status, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is being remanded due to a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the rating decision on appeal. The Board must obtain additional medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bladder cancer, which was service-connected as a result of contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune, contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The claims for heart disability and hypertension were also denied as they are not considered service-connected.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine is granted service connection. The claims for hyperlipidemia, lower left and right radiculopathy, heart issues (likely including atrial fibrillation), hypertension, left knee disability, and right knee disability are all remanded due to insufficient evidence.
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