The Veteran died of causes related to his service-connected conditions, including PTSD and CAD. The Board is remanding the case for a supplemental opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The September 2013 VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not address the evidence of prior MI in the Veteran's medical records, which could have affected the cause and progression of his heart condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Amputation of the right middle finger, Coronary artery disease (CAD), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2015
- Citation
- 1526071
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1526071.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his myocardial infarction and COPD to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance from June 1, 2011, to May 24, 2017, finding that his need for regular aid and attendance was not established during this period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's current coronary artery disease with acute, subacute, or old myocardial infarction with coronary stent is being remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of a medical nexus between his service-connected hypertension and his heart condition.
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