The Veteran's cause of death is remanded due to incomplete development and the need for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his service-connected back condition and his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were duty-to-assist errors, including an incomplete TERA memorandum and inadequate VA treatment records. The Veteran's exposure to herbicides is not addressed as he was not exposed during service with C-123 aircrafts.
- Claimed conditions
- encephalopathy, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), hepatitis, renal failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23041256
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 23041256.
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 decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for further medical opinions regarding the Veteran's chronic kidney disease.
- Denied
The Board has denied the claims for service connection for encephalopathy and female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or a link to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there are duty to assist errors in the prior November 2018 rating decision and remands the claims for further development. The issues of service connection for SLE, IBS, GERD, and headaches remain unresolved due to insufficient evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and secondary service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, both determined to be related to in-service hepatitis.
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