The Veteran's cause of death is being remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine if his conditions are related to service or herbicide exposure. The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 remains denied as the Veteran was not rated 100% disabled at any point.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cause of death is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his conditions, specifically if they are related to service or herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- septic shock, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, acute kidney injury, end stage liver cirrhosis, portal HTN (hypertension), massive ascites, acute hypoxic respiratory failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2022
- Citation
- 22010013
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 22010013.
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 Board has determined that a remand is necessary to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error and obtain a new medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service, his death, and any service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence showing a link between any service-connected disability and the Veteran's death. The conditions listed on his death certificate were not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for hypertension due to herbicide exposure in Guam. The cause of death and DIC claims are remanded as the Veteran's hypertension may have caused or aggravated his other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence linking any of the immediate or contributing causes of his death to his period of active duty service. The Board also found that the PACT Act did not apply in this case as the Veteran served prior to the period when herbicide agents were presumed used.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.