The Board has determined that further development is needed to properly adjudicate the claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and addressing service connection under TERA. The cause of death was attributed to cardiovascular disease, but there are uncertainties regarding the Veteran's lung cancer status and potential service-connected causes.
The deciding factor: Further investigation into the Veteran's medical history and exposure records is necessary to determine the cause of his death and whether it is related to service or service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular disease, brachial plexopathy of the right upper extremity, major depressive disorder, internal derangement of the right shoulder, right hip disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2026
- Citation
- A26002628
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 A26002628.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
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