The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for valvular heart disease and a rating in excess of 40 percent for spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran's claim for service connection is pending, while his claim for increased rating remains under review.
The deciding factor: Incomplete compliance with prior remand directives regarding VA examinations and medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- valvular heart disease (aortic stenosis)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20052161
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 20052161.
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 Veteran's cardiorespiratory failure, due to hypertension, seizure, anticoagulation, and heart disease, was not shown to have manifested during service or for many years thereafter, and were not otherwise shown to be related to service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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