The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate duty to assist and need for an initial examination and opinion regarding service connection theories.
The deciding factor: VA failed its duty to assist by not obtaining necessary private treatment records, including those from a private cardiologist and Boston Medical Center. The Veteran's heart disabilities may be related to his period of active duty service or service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22016694
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 22016694.
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 granted the appellant's petitions to readjudicate her claims for service connection for heart disabilities and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. However, both claims are remanded due to new evidence submitted since the last decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's heart and respiratory disabilities are deemed to have been caused by the VA's failure to exercise proper care, resulting in additional disability. The Board has determined that compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is warranted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, urinary incontinence from prostate cancer surgery, and heart disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations and opinions. Additional development is needed to address the relationship between the Veteran's prostatitis with urethritis and his current conditions, as well as any potential service connection based on exposure to herbicidal agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a VA medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's death was related to service, including his presumed in-service herbicide exposure.
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