The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with osteoarthritis (low back disorder), and coronary artery disease (CAD) have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has remanded for further evaluation due to the complexity of his conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with osteoarthritis (low back disorder), and coronary artery disease (CAD) have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The complexity of his conditions necessitates further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with osteoarthritis (low back disorder), coronary artery disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20014306
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 20014306.
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 service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his coronary artery disease.
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