The Board has denied service connection for congestive heart failure/cardiomyopathy and depression. The claims of entitlement to initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for tendonitis of the left shoulder with degenerative joint disease, right shoulder replacement, left hip arthroplasty, right hip arthroplasty, and fracture left 5th finger with flexion deformity distal proximal interphalangeal joint are remanded. The TDIU claim is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of congestive heart failure/cardiomyopathy or depression, and thus denied service connection for these conditions. The claims of entitlement to initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for various shoulder and hip disabilities are remanded as additional development is required due to the recent Court decision in Correia v. McDonald (2016). The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with the increased rating claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure/cardiomyopathy, Depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2018
- Citation
- 18117786
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 18117786.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the AOJ's handling of the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder, and depression. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's claimed stressor and obtain medical opinions regarding the diagnoses and their relation to service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, and Depression as these conditions are found to be related to the Veteran's active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's lay statements and medical records are considered in determining whether there is a nexus between current symptoms and service.
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