The Board has remanded both the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and the claim for burial benefits due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, which is a significant factor in determining his heart disease and subsequent cerebrovascular accident.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was not enough information to determine whether the Veteran's hypertension began during service or if it developed later. This uncertainty impacts the determination of service connection for the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic hypoxemic respiratory failure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pleural effusion, cerebrovascular accident, pericardial effusion, dementia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2023
- Citation
- 23045606
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 23045606.
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 Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and stroke as there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service and the medical opinions were against a nexus to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction is granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Korea.
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