The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma with emphysema contributed to his death from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The Appellant submitted new evidence and requested a second opportunity for VA to obtain a report by the County Medical Examiner who prepared the Veteran's death certificate.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided were inadequate, lacking discussion of potential causal links between service-connected conditions and the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, bronchial asthma with emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 23, 2023
- Citation
- 23046742
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 23046742.
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 remanded the case to obtain missing medical records and a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal. No one has requested substitution for the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for an effective date prior to March 16, 2021 for service connection of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease and ratings for amputation of middle or lower thirds of the right leg and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The TDIU claim is also remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was due to severe occlusive coronary artery disease, which is presumed to be caused by exposure to herbicide agents. The appellant filed a claim for DIC benefits within one year of the Veteran's death and was found eligible as a Nehmer class member. However, her remarriage in 2014 rendered her ineligible for recognition as the surviving spouse from that date onwards.
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