The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and additional evidentiary development is needed. The issues are whether his current cardiac disabilities, including premature ventricular contractions, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and aortic insufficiency, are related to his active duty service, and whether his obstructive sleep apnea is related to his in-service maxillary osteotomy or any of the documented cardiac conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional evidence was needed due to incomplete records from private providers and conflicting lay statements regarding the onset of symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Premature Ventricular Contractions, Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, Aortic Insufficiency
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20035607
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 20035607.
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 denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and remanded the issues related to hypertension, aortic insufficiency and mitral valve regurgitation, a breathing condition, and obstructive sleep apnea.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation of her service-connected heart condition was denied, and she is not entitled to a higher rating. The claim for service connection for tinnitus was also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal requires additional development for his claims of PTSD, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and TDIU. The AOJ is instructed to obtain updated VA medical records, provide an addendum retrospective medical opinion regarding PTSD severity from September 26, 2013 to March 13, 2015, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is related to PTSD, and consider all additional evidence since the September 2020 supplemental statement of the case.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of TDIU was denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements for any part of the relevant period on appeal and his disabilities were not sufficient to render him unemployable prior to July 24, 2014.
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