The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for pulmonary fibrosis and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, as well as the PTSD claim, need to be remanded due to outstanding records from the Social Security Administration. The issue regarding excision of a knot on the neck and special monthly pension based on aid and attendance is also being remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that VA has a duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records from the Social Security Administration, as well as VA treatment records, for all outpatient care and hospitalization since March 2003. The claims will be returned to the RO for further development and readjudication.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary fibrosis, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2004
- Citation
- 0407596
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,177 · Granted: 24% (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 0407596.
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
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis is related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary fibrosis as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining signed consent forms and an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lung complications.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder, including interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, and pulmonary asbestosis, due to in-service asbestos exposure.
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