The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical records and determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disability, including whether it is related to his service in Vietnam or Iraq.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was based on an assumption that the Veteran had emphysema during his service in Iraq, which is not supported by the evidence. The Board ordered a remand to obtain updated medical records and determine if there is any relationship between the Veteran's current respiratory disability and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 1, 2010
- Citation
- 1020104
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 1020104.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a respiratory disability and a lumbar spine disability due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for complete loss of sense of smell, an acquired psychiatric disability, a low back disability, a respiratory disability, and tinnitus to schedule VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and remanded the other claims for further development.
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