The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's vocal cord damage is related to his September 2, 2010 coronary artery bypass grafting at VA. The RO must obtain prior treatment records and forward the file for an adequate opinion on this issue.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the opinions provided were inadequate and requested additional information from the Veteran's medical records and a new examination to determine if the Veteran's vocal cord damage is related to his September 2, 2010 coronary artery bypass grafting at VA.
- Claimed conditions
- vocal cord damage
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000260
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a throat condition to schedule an appropriate VA compensation examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed throat condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and denied entitlement to higher initial ratings for existing disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence received, and requests an addendum opinion regarding his esophageal cancer.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.