The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and a failure to obtain all relevant private treatment records. The appellant is seeking service connection for the cause of her husband's death, which was caused by COVID-19 pneumonia.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to consider whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death and did not address the appellant's lay assertions regarding the relationship between mental/neurological disabilities and COVID-19.
- Claimed conditions
- Seizures, Residuals of a brain injury, Lower back strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2024
- Citation
- A24074938
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 A24074938.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for seizures prior to October 18, 2019, and denied a higher rating from that date. The Veteran was also granted service connection for a stroke and its residuals, as well as special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance, effective December 8, 2025.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied it for a left ankle sprain. The remaining claims for left and right hip disabilities, as well as lower back strain, were remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of September 26, 2021, for the award of an initial 100 percent rating for seizures and related benefits.
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