The Board has determined that the veteran's respiratory disorders, including pulmonary fibrosis and ventilatory defect, may be related to radiation exposure in service. However, there is no documented record of radiation exposure during his service. The claim will be remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship between the veteran's current respiratory disorders and his period of active service due to lack of documentation of radiation exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disorder, pulmonary fibrosis, ventilatory defect
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2004
- Citation
- 0406460
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 0406460.
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 pulmonary fibrosis, finding it to be related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, finding no current diagnosis of the condition and that it was not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a lung disability, claimed as pulmonary fibrosis, for further development and evidence review.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a conclusion that his service-connected conditions prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
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.