The Board remands the claim for further development to correct duty to assist errors related to obtaining adequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
The deciding factor: The June 2023 and November 2023 VA medical opinions were found inadequate, necessitating a new opinion to address the service connection theories and the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- Metastatic jaw cancer, Pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25051576
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 remands the case to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing toxic exposures during service and submitted medical literature.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to address all respiratory disabilities found or shown during the appeal period and to determine their relationship to service, including exposure to toxic or environmental hazards.
- Granted
The Board granted compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the cause of the Veteran's death, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, pneumonia, and a right ankle condition due to a pre-decision duty to assist error.
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