The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and higher ratings due to outstanding private treatment records and missed VA examinations. The Veteran's representative provided information about a hospitalization, but no follow-up on these records was made. The Board also requested opinions from a VA examiner regarding whether the diagnosed heart disorders and stroke residuals are related to service and/or diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The claims were remanded due to outstanding private treatment records and missed VA examinations, as well as the need for additional medical opinions on the relationship between service-connected conditions and the Veteran's current diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Disorder, Stroke Residuals
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19179676
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 granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The claims for a heart disorder and prostate cancer were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial compensable rating for COPD and remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disorder and chronic kidney disease.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for diabetes was granted, while other issues related to heart disorder, prostate cancer, and gallbladder removal were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder claimed as due to exposure to toxins at Fort McClellan, Alabama. The examiner concluded that the Veteran's heart disorder was less likely than not incurred in or caused by her military service.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.