The Board has determined that the Veteran's right elbow disorder, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be related to his active service. However, due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to service, the claims are being remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, which is necessary to determine if they are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Elbow Disorder, Coronary Artery Disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21020736
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 21020736.
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 TDIU was granted effective March 2, 2018, due to his service-connected disabilities including PTSD and other conditions. The decision also noted that the Veteran is currently self-employed as a truck driver.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disability and hypertension due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ is required to obtain addendum medical opinions regarding toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC in excess of SMC(n) based on his service-connected conditions and additional disabilities, as well as his need for aid and attendance. The appeal was dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to pre-decisional error and insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's heart condition, hypertension, and hearing loss/tinnitus.
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