Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Remanded (sent back)

The veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, as well as increased ratings for tension headaches with associated migraine features and allergic rhinitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The deciding factor: Additional evidence is needed to determine whether the veteran's symptoms qualify as manifestations of undiagnosed illness or if they can be attributed to a known diagnosis. A VA examination is required to assess the current severity of her respiratory and headache conditions, including allergic rhinitis.

Claimed conditions
respiratory disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
January 13, 2004
Citation
0401056

Veterans Law Judge

BARBARA B. COPELAND

Decisions by this judge: 1,515 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0401056.

What this means for you

A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.

What you can do next

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.