The appeal for service connection for the cause of death is remanded to correct pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.
The deciding factor: The Board failed to provide adequate reasons and bases for its decision addressing whether there was a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, specifically regarding the failure to obtain relevant private medical records from Sentara Leigh Hospital prior to the issuance of the rating decision on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25056938
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.