The Veteran's claim for service connection for ataxia was remanded, and the RO granted service connection for orthostatic hypotension. The Board finds that this satisfied the Veteran’s claim for service connection for ataxia. The issue of SMC based on aid and attendance is now remanded due to new evidence indicating the need for regular aid and assistance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's recent statements, VA treatment records, and examination results suggest he may be in need of regular aid and assistance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- orthostatic hypotension, gout with hyperuricemia and degenerative arthritis of multiple joints, coronary artery disease, status post 3-vessel bypass, history of hemorrhoids, ischemic cerebrovascular disease, scars due to heart surgery
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20064449
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20064449.
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 the Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for orthostatic hypotension as there were no current symptoms of the condition on examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic renal disease, diabetic retinopathy, kidney transplant, and orthostatic hypotension to schedule VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for obstructive sleep apnea, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and orthostatic hypotension to obtain new VA medical opinions addressing their relationship to service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for orthostatic hypotension, finding a causal relationship to the Veteran's military service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.