The Board remands the claims for additional development due to pre-decisional failures of the duty to assist, including an inadequate VA examination addressing PTSD and its impact on employment, as well as a heart disability claim that did not adequately address whether the Veteran's heart palpitations constituted a heart disability.
The deciding factor: The March 2023 VA examinations were found to be insufficient due to their failure to distinguish symptoms attributable to other causes such as COVID-19 and a shoulder injury, and for failing to properly assess the nature of any heart disability including ischemic heart disease. The Board also failed to adequately address whether the Veteran's heart palpitations constituted a distinct heart disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart disability, to include heart palpitations and possible ischemic heart disease, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25041149
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (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 A25041149.
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 is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a contradiction in the AOJ's determinations regarding the Veteran's need for aid and assistance, which requires clarification. The remanded issues are entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another and on the basis of statutory housebound status.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased rating and earlier effective date for PTSD have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for a right knee scar secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability status post knee replacement. However, the rating for PTSD remains at 30 percent and needs to be re-adjudicated due to a failure to obtain private mental health treatment records.
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