The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of sufficient VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death and whether his coronary artery disease caused or contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's cause of death was related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure, and also failed to provide an opinion on whether his coronary artery disease caused or contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiorespiratory arrest, recurrent cancer of the neck
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26007183
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 A26007183.
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 Veteran's death was caused by cardiorespiratory arrest and metastatic esophageal cancer. The appellant is recognized as the surviving spouse, but service connection for cause of death remains pending due to insufficient information on in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's cardiorespiratory arrest to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the Board found insufficient evidence to establish a connection between his conditions and his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death and DIC benefits, finding that there was no evidence linking the spouse's causes of death to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.
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