The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient analysis regarding whether the Veteran's cardiac disability is related to his service-connected chronic sinusitis and/or TCE exposure. The Veteran needs to provide updated VA and private treatment records, and a medical opinion should be obtained.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2018 VHA Opinion did not clearly address whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's cardiac disability is related to his service-connected chronic sinusitis and/or TCE exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiac disability, right eye disability, joint pain, liver disability, bilateral ankle disability, urinary/bladder disability, gastrointestinal disability, fatigue, cognitive problems, skin problems
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18155796
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 18155796.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a neurological examination to determine if any diagnosed radiculopathy or other neurological disability affecting the lower extremities was caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a cardiac disability, including arteriosclerotic heart disease and coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active service or an in-service injury.
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