The veteran's appeal is about the assigned rating for emphysema prior to October 7, 1996, including entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability. The case must be remanded due to incomplete records and need for clarification regarding the veteran's employment status.
The deciding factor: The VA treatment records are highly relevant to determining the appropriate rating for emphysema and the veteran's eligibility for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, but have not been obtained yet.
- Claimed conditions
- emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 31, 2000
- Citation
- 0023289
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 0023289.
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 Board granted service connection for emphysema and pulmonary hypertension, finding that the Veteran's emphysema was caused by active service, including participation in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA), and that his pulmonary hypertension is secondary to his emphysema.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for Parkinson's disease, emphysema, muscle cramps, bilateral shoulder disability, and neck disability. However, it granted service connection for peripheral vascular disease and asthma.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD, emphysema, a chest wall condition, PTSD, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, chronic, a low back condition, TBI, and a chest tumor.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and emphysema, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance.
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