The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death. The appellant contends that the Veteran's death is related to in-service herbicide exposure and/or tuberculosis exposure, but there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service. The examiner must provide a new opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's cause of death was related to his active service or caused by military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the VA medical opinion inadequate due to missing records from the time period immediately preceding the Veteran's death, which may include treatment for tuberculosis. The examiner must provide a new opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the cause of death was related to active service or caused by military service.
- Claimed conditions
- tuberculosis, acute myeloid leukemia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2021
- Citation
- 21068569
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 21068569.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and right middle finger strain with degenerative arthritis. The claim for tuberculosis was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tuberculosis to afford the Veteran a VA examination and obtain a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of any current lung condition, including tuberculosis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tuberculosis as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran has active tuberculosis related to service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchial asthma was granted, while the claim for tuberculosis was denied.
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