The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an addendum opinion regarding her cardiac disability. The VA examinations were not fully compliant with the requirements of Correia v. McDonald (2016).
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not comply with the requirements set forth in Correia v. McDonald (2016) for joint testing, specifically passive range of motion and non-weight-bearing measurements.
- Claimed conditions
- paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, degenerative joint disease of the sacroiliac joint and lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20074555
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a rating of 40 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) but denied service connection and increased ratings for other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, including as due to herbicide exposure or secondary to hypertension and associated medications.
- Denied
The appeal was denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability related to the veteran's subjective complaints of chest pain, and it cannot be linked to his service-connected paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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