The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of a heart disorder has been granted. However, the new evidence does not establish that his current heart condition is related to service or exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (likely encompassing PTSD and Depression) was denied as there is no probative medical evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The new evidence does not provide a link between the Veteran's current heart condition and his military service or exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune. The preponderance of the evidence supports denying service connection for this condition.,There is no medical evidence linking the Veteran’s acquired psychiatric disorder (likely encompassing PTSD and Depression) to his military service, nor does it appear secondary to a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Disorder, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (likely encompassing PTSD and Depression)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2020
- Citation
- A20006868
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 A20006868.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the service connection claims for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Heart Disorder due to a duty to assist error in obtaining opinions regarding whether these conditions are aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disorder and OSA, as secondary to a heart disorder due to incomplete records and failure to consider all relevant in-service exposures. The Veteran's exposure to PFAS at Robins AFB is acknowledged, but further development is needed to address his COPD and smoking history.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a heart disorder is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the July 2020 VA medical opinion, which did not adequately address the Veteran's assertions regarding the carelessness or negligence of his health care providers and the failure to diagnose and treat his heart condition.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disorder, characterized as an exercise induced left bundle branch block, began during his active duty service and is therefore granted service connection.
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