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 assigned
- None in this 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 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 0407596.
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 Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis is related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary fibrosis as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.
- 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.
- 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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