The Board has found that additional development is needed for the issues on appeal, including obtaining VA opinions to address the etiology of the claimed disabilities due to ionizing radiation exposure. The remanded issues are: Congestive heart failure, kidney disability, lung disability, and osteoarthritis.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that new VA opinions are needed to address the etiology of the claimed disabilities on appeal, specifically regarding in-service radiation exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure, Kidney disability, Lung disability, Osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20073074
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · Granted: 29% (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 20073074.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the (r)(1) rate due to his service-connected major depressive disorder and congestive heart failure, which require regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart conditions may be related to his service-connected sleep apnea and/or generalized anxiety disorder, but further examination is needed to determine causation.
- Granted
The Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) is related to his service-connected hypertension, and the Board has granted service connection for CAD as secondary to hypertension.
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