The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of medical records and need for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim will be further developed to determine if any service-connected disability contributed to the cause of death.
The deciding factor: Insufficient evidence was provided to establish a connection between the Veteran's service, his alcoholism, and his cause of death (alcoholic liver disease with terminal gastrointestinal hemorrhage).
- Claimed conditions
- Alcoholic liver disease, Terminal gastrointestinal hemorrhage
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2024
- Citation
- 24007946
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 24007946.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by alcoholic liver disease, which developed due to his long-standing alcohol use and psychiatric disability. The Board found that service-connected disability contributed to the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran had PTSD related to combat in Vietnam, which is necessary for service connection of his cause of death.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be due to alcoholic liver disease, which the Board found at least as likely as not to have been incurred during service. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by alcoholic liver disease, with contributory causes of hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The appellant claims that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD aggravated his alcohol abuse, leading to his liver disease.
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