The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the nature and etiology of his May 2009 stroke and its residuals, including consideration of whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected aortic insufficiency / valve replacement.
The deciding factor: The current evidence does not adequately address the Veteran's expanded theory of entitlement that his service-connected aortic insufficiency / valve replacement may have led to other heart problems (such as cardiomyopathy) which, in turn, contributed to causation or aggravation of his May 2009 stroke.
- Claimed conditions
- stroke, associated residuals
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 22, 2015
- Citation
- 1531213
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 1531213.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and stroke as there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service and the medical opinions were against a nexus to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's stroke and its residuals are related to his service in Southwest Asia, given the PACT Act provisions.
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