The Board has decided to remand the case for further development regarding service connection for a heart condition, specifically atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and surgical repair of type A dissection. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam is under review, as well as his exposure to black oil and/or jet fuels (JP5 and JP8) or asbestos.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the development regarding the Veteran’s exposure to herbicide agents and black oil/jet fuel exposure was incomplete and remanded for further action.
- Claimed conditions
- Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Surgical repair of type A dissection
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20074833
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,170 · Granted: 38% (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 20074833.
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 has remanded the case due to the need for further development regarding toxic exposures and a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's heart conditions and PTSD were rated at their highest levels (100% for heart conditions, 70% for PTSD) effective December 11, 2019. Additionally, the Veteran was granted benefits related to his disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of January 9, 2018 for the award of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) based on the cause of death due to acute myocardial infarction. The decision is final as it relates back to the date entitlement arose.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was denied. The current rating of 10 percent is maintained.
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