Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Remanded (sent back)

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected aortic valve replacement secondary to subacute bacterial endocarditis and for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities. The remand is necessary because the January 2016 VA examination was inadequate, and further development is needed.

The deciding factor: The January 2016 VA examination report did not include an updated echocardiogram or provide a clear explanation for the exercise stress test results.

Claimed conditions
aortic valve replacement secondary to subacute bacterial endocarditis
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 29, 2020
Citation
20081365

Veterans Law Judge

THERESA M. CATINO

Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20081365.

What this means for you

A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.

What you can do next

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.