The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and higher ratings for hypertensive cardiovascular disease, emphysema, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, cerebral aneurysm, and hypertension. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these issues.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded due to procedural errors in issuing a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) that did not address all relevant evidence submitted since the previous November 2014 Statement of the Case (SOC).
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, emphysema, hypertensive cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18137234
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 18137234.
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 the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent prior to March 2, 2017, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine. The evidence did not establish a nexus between current hearing loss or DJD of the lumbar spine and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lung condition, including pneumonia residuals, COPD, and emphysema, is remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his military service. The appeal is reopened based on new evidence.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, emphysema, and prostate cancer as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
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