The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including verifying his exposure to hazardous chemicals in service and obtaining a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
The deciding factor: The case requires further investigation into the Veteran's claimed chemical exposure during service and an evaluation by a VA medical doctor specializing in pulmonary disease to determine if the current disability is related to service, including any identified chemical exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2011
- Citation
- 1109577
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 1109577.
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 Board granted service connection for bilateral hip osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's arthritis had its onset during active duty and is related to his military service. Service connection was denied for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency due to lack of evidence showing a superimposed disability attributable to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and bilateral hip disorder due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is found to be related to his service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lung disability, including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, emphysema, and COPD. The examiner is requested to clarify whether these conditions are defects or diseases, and provide an opinion as to their relationship with service.
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