The Board remands the claim for a new VA medical opinion to address the appellant's assertions regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their potential role in causing or contributing to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The current VA examination is found inadequate as it fails to thoroughly discuss the facts of the claim and provide a reasoned explanation, particularly concerning the association between chronic pain from service-connected disabilities and myocardial infarction.
- Claimed conditions
- Myocardial infarction due to Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia and Diabetes mellitus, Heart failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25089161
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,455 · Granted: 23% (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 A25089161.
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 remanded the case due to an inadequate evaluation by the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) regarding the Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC enrollment. The CEAT did not provide a thorough explanation of why the Veteran does not meet the criteria for personal care services, which is necessary for eligibility.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea, finding no current disability in both cases.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for liver transplant, kidney disease, and heart failure due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as heart failure was not shown to be related to his military service, including presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
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