The Board has determined that the Veteran's death may be related to his service-connected bronchial asthma with emphysema, and a VA examination is needed to determine if this condition caused or contributed to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: A VA examiner will need to review the medical records and provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma with emphysema played a role in his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Bronchial asthma with emphysema, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Pulmonary emboli, Systolic murmur, Premature supraventricular ectopic contractions, Abnormal EKGs (short PR interval in August 1976, and marked ST-T wave changes in February 2011), Left ventricular hypertrophy, Mild aortic valve calcification, Mild aortic stenosis, Premature atrial complexes, Left atrial enlargement, Cardiac arrhythmia, Strokes involving the middle cerebral artery in May 2010
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2022
- Citation
- 22039000
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 22039000.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his myocardial infarction and COPD to his military service.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher level of SMC was denied as the Board found that he is already in receipt of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure. A second award of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance was not warranted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no competent evidence linking any principal or contributory cause of his death to his service.
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