The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions and records in order to determine if the Veteran's current lung disorder is related to his service, specifically exposure to chemicals or asbestos.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner will need to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's current pulmonary disorders are at least as likely as not caused by his reported exposure to unknown gasses during service and/or the calcified hilar mass found in May 1966.
- Claimed conditions
- lung disorder, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), granulomatous lung disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2012
- Citation
- 1211128
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 1211128.
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 Veteran's lung condition, including pneumonia residuals, COPD, and emphysema, is remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his military service. The appeal is reopened based on new evidence.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, emphysema, and prostate cancer as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, including COPD with emphysema (claimed as lung condition due to exposure of asbestos due to MOS), is remanded. The VA will provide an examination and obtain medical opinions regarding whether any diagnosed respiratory conditions are related to military service, particularly given the Veteran's in-service exposure to asbestos.
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