The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to correct a pre-decisional error regarding the duty to assist, specifically in obtaining a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities were a principal or contributory cause of his death due to heart disease.
The deciding factor: A VA medical opinion is required to determine if the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and bilateral hearing loss aggravated his atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, leading to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2024
- Citation
- A24026762
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 A24026762.
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 service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and VA burial benefits as there was no evidence establishing a nexus between the Veteran's death and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the matter to obtain a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease was directly related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death due to atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board also found that the appellant did not meet her burden of proof in establishing service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was caused by acute heroin intoxication, with atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease being a significant but not the underlying cause. The Board denied service connection for both the cause of death and the cardiovascular condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.