The Board remands the matter for an additional opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically addressing exposure to various toxins during service.
The deciding factor: An addendum opinion is needed as the previous examiner did not substantially comply with the remand directives and addressed only asbestos exposure in isolation without considering other potential toxic exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic rectal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2025
- Citation
- 25005693
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25005693.
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 granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his fatal rectal carcinoma was caused by exposure to herbicide agents (including Agent Orange) during service. The decision is based on a presumption of exposure due to the Veteran's service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the appellant is denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 or 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is being reviewed due to his service-connected right peroneal neuropathy and the VA medical care he received. The RO will also consider whether he was entitled to benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
- Denied
The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, metastatic rectal carcinoma, was not related to service or any presumptive conditions. The claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35 also failed due to lack of a permanent and total disability rating at the time of his death.
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.