The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and the need for a medical opinion regarding the cause of death. The Veteran's cause of death was acute myocardial infarction with ventricular fibrillation and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, which were not service-connected at the time of his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there has been a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining a medical opinion regarding the cause of death and remanded for such an opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- acute myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation, atherosclerotic coronary artery disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 31, 2024
- Citation
- A24042495
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A24042495.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 severance of service connection for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease/aortic stenosis status post aortic valve replacement was improper, and thus restored the original grant of service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, acute coronary insufficiency due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, is considered presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. As the Veteran served in Vietnam and his condition is presumed for herbicide-exposed veterans, service connection for the cause of death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing whether in-service toxic exposures led to hypertension and ultimately caused his death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no evidence linking his conditions to his active-duty service.
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