The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's cause of death claim, including obtaining a VA medical opinion and addressing the appellant's substitution request for the TDIU claim. The focus will be on determining the nature and cause of the Veteran's death, particularly in relation to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current decision is not final as additional development is needed due to incomplete information and pending issues such as the appellant's substitution request for the TDIU claim. The medical opinion will help clarify whether the Veteran's peripheral vascular disease was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including his left leg nerve paralysis and missile fragment wound.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral Vascular Disease, Sepsis, Gangrene, Hypertension, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Renal Failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 14, 2023
- Citation
- 23039231
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 23039231.
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 hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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