The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, but the Board is remanding for a VA oncologist to provide an opinion on whether his mesothelioma could be causally related to his service or if it contributed substantially and materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's previous opinions were inadequate as they did not address the causal relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his mesothelioma, nor did they consider whether exposure to herbicide agents played a role in his mesothelioma development.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic end stage mesothelioma of the pleura, smoldering multiple myeloma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24024565
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 A24024565.
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 remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
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