The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the cause of death and whether service-connected conditions contributed to it, due to potential herbicide agent exposure. The appellant's claim for DIC benefits is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of entitlement to service connection for cause of death without an opinion regarding the Veteran's presumed herbicide agent exposure and its relation to his conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- colon cancer, diabetes mellitus (type 2), atherosclerotic heart disease, systemic lupus, liver disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 15, 2022
- Citation
- 22052492
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22052492.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of death and its relation to service. The Veteran's atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and colon cancer are being evaluated for their relationship to toxic exposure during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for colon cancer and liver cancer is granted due to the relationship between his in-service toxic exposures, including burn pits. His liver cancer was found to be related to his now service-connected colon cancer.
- Granted
The Board has granted DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected prostate cancer and its treatment caused his death due to side effects from Zytiga.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer, finding that his current diagnosis of colon cancer is related to toxic exposures in service and resolving any reasonable doubt in his favor.
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