The Board remands the claims for service connection for Veteran's cause of death and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) under U.S.C. 1318 due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding potential etiological nexus between the Veteran's causes of death and his active service, including presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The October 2016 VA examination is found to be inadequate as it fails to address medical evidence of record regarding complications during the Veteran's final treatments prior to his death and is silent on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22000748
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.