The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected disabilities and his pancreatic cancer. The DIC claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the issue of service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board finds conflicting medical evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, necessitating a new opinion to reconcile the opinions from Dr. Cronin and the VA examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- left thoracotomy for thoracic aorta with valve replacement, left thoracotomy with aortic valve replacement, lymphoma, left thoracotomy with aortic aneurysm graft, second degree burns of extremities, left vocal cord paralysis, second degree burns to face and neck, history of renal failure associated with left thoracotomy for thoracic aorta with valve replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 7, 2022
- Citation
- 22038799
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 22038799.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran's lymphoma is related to his active duty service and has awarded service connection for angina secondary to his service-connected asbestosis.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection due to the Veteran's death. The appeal is now inactive and will be reactivated if a surviving spouse or other eligible person requests substitution.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of evidence and VA's duty to assist, including a lack of time for the Veteran to provide additional information regarding his service at Camp Lejeune and medical records reconstruction.
- Denied
The Board has denied the service connection claims for lymphoma, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as there is no evidence of an in-service event or injury related to these conditions. The Veteran's private treatment records do not establish a nexus between his current disabilities and his military service.
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