The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cause of death. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Okinawa, Japan, and obtain a VA medical opinion on the etiology of COD.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were errors in duty to assist related to the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicide agents and contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The AOJ is required to verify these claims and obtain a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- hemorrhagic shock, acidosis, hypothermia, aortic injury, peripheral artery disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26020311
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 A26020311.
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 has determined that a remand is necessary to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error and obtain a new medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service, his death, and any service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left hand numbness, right hand numbness, left foot numbness, right foot numbness, and peripheral artery disease. The claims of service connection for epidermophytosis (claimed as trench foot), bilateral flat foot (pes planus), bilateral hammer toes, and hallux valgus (right foot) are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to a lack of VA examination in connection with service connection claims for residuals of hypothermia and heat stroke.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 aggravated his peripheral artery disease, which was the direct cause of his above the right knee amputation. As a result, the claim for secondary service connection is granted.
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