The Board finds that the veteran's chest pains, which he attributed to a heart attack, were of such nature that a prudent lay person would have reasonably expected that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would have been hazardous to his life or health. Therefore, payment or reimbursement for the cost of medical expenses incurred on April 1, 2004, at a non-VA hospital is granted.
The deciding factor: The veteran's history of a heart attack and the advice from two VA medical facilities to immediately take an ambulance to the nearest emergency room caused him to reasonably expect that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would have been hazardous to his life or health.
- Claimed conditions
- chest pains, heart attack
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2008
- Citation
- 0801789
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 0801789.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board has remanded the claims for sleep apnea, headaches, alcohol use disorder (claimed as depression/anxiety), hypertension, and heart attack due to potential service connection based on aggravation of a pre-existing condition or secondary to other service-connected disabilities. Additional medical opinions are required regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding exposure to burn pits during his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates for the award of service connection and increased rating for ischemic heart disease was dismissed as it is not a valid freestanding claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
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