The Veteran's lung disability, including left diaphragmatic dysfunction with left lower lobe atelectasis, is not service-connected. The case is being remanded for additional development and an opinion regarding the etiology of his current lung disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider whether the Veteran had in-service asbestos exposure, which could be a factor in determining service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- left diaphragmatic dysfunction with left lower lobe atelectasis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2013
- Citation
- 1328241
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 1328241.
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 has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disability other than pleural disease and interstitial lung disease (including fibrosis and asbestosis), to include left diaphragmatic dysfunction with left lower lobe atelectasis, finding that there is no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his period of active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional records from the Social Security Administration and Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for pleural disease and interstitial lung disease (including fibrosis and asbestosis) due to in-service asbestos exposure. The Veteran's other diagnosed lung disability, left diaphragmatic dysfunction with left lower lobe atelectasis, is addressed in the REMAND section.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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