The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic airway obstruction, with pulmonary lesions and pleural thickening is being remanded due to the need for additional pulmonary testing, including a DLCO test.
The deciding factor: Additional pulmonary testing, specifically a DLCO test, is required as it could result in a higher disability rating based on Diagnostic Codes 6603 and 6604.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic airway obstruction, pulmonary lesions, pleural thickening
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2010
- Citation
- 1017887
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1017887.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 60 percent disability rating for pleural thickening, effective May 17, 2018.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was granted, but the claim for COPD was denied. The issue of a compensable rating for pleural thickening was remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's shortness of breath with pleurisy and pleural thickening is related to multiple bouts of pneumonia during his service, which resulted in a current disability. The Board granted service connection for these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right lung nodules, left lung nodules, pleural thickening, and pulmonary fibrosis due to pre-decisional failures of duty to assist in obtaining missing service treatment records and inadequate examinations. The VA is required to undertake additional efforts to obtain these records and prepare a TERA memorandum addressing the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) and asbestos in service.
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