Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Whole decision: Denied

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of stroke, finding that they are not directly related to his service-connected coronary artery disease with a history of myocardial infarctions and are not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The deciding factor: The examiner opined that the Veteran’s stroke was more likely caused by carotid atherosclerosis rather than coronary artery disease, and found no evidence of aggravation of his service-connected condition.

Claimed conditions
residuals of stroke, coronary artery disease with a history of myocardial infarctions
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 11, 2020
Citation
20078495

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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20078495.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

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.