The Board has determined that a VA clinical opinion is needed to determine the cause of the veteran's death and whether it was related to his military service. The appellant must provide information about any medical providers who treated him for tuberculosis, pneumonia, emphysema, or other respiratory/pulmonary conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a VA clinical opinion is needed due to conflicting evidence regarding the cause of the veteran's death and its relation to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Koch's disease (pulmonary tuberculosis), pleural effusion, bilateral basal emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 26, 2006
- Citation
- 0615485
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 0615485.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for pleural effusion, pericarditis, chronic, lung changes, left, lung scarring, left, and pericardial effusion to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for lumbosacral strain, thoracic strain, right posterior lyric lesion SI joint, dextroscoliosis, scarring/atelectasis of left lower lobe, nonspecific mild pulmonary hyperinflation, pleural effusion, residuals of COVID-19, and unspecified anxiety disorder.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an increased rating for pleural effusion was dismissed because the veteran died while the appeal was pending.
- Denied
The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability of the lung, including pneumothorax and pleural effusion, as a result of VA medical and surgical treatment.
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