The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and asbestos exposure. Additional development is needed, including obtaining records from a private provider and requesting an addendum opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found previous opinions insufficient and directed additional examination and opinion to address whether probable asbestos exposure during service substantially or materially contributed to the Veteran's cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiorespiratory arrest, oat cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21064862
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 21064862.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by cardiorespiratory arrest and metastatic esophageal cancer. The appellant is recognized as the surviving spouse, but service connection for cause of death remains pending due to insufficient information on in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's cardiorespiratory arrest to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the Board found insufficient evidence to establish a connection between his conditions and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of sufficient VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death and whether his coronary artery disease caused or contributed to his death.
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