The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's claimed respiratory disorder and his active service. The Veteran is requested to provide a VA addendum medical opinion addressing his contentions of exposure to hazardous chemicals in confined areas without adequate ventilation during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the Veteran's assertions of exposure to hazardous chemicals and difficulty breathing in service, which are critical to determining whether his current respiratory disorder is related to active service.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory infection
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1624283
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 1624283.
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 Board denied service connection for tinnitus, left ankle disorder, and right ankle disorder. The claims for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left hip degenerative arthritis, right hip degenerative arthritis, respiratory infection, and chronic sinusitis were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disabilities, bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, digestive disabilities including irritable bowel syndrome with abdominal pain and nausea, pelvic organ disabilities, iron deficiency anemia, and genital herpes. Service connection was denied for acne, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, painful joints, left shin splints, right shin splints, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, respiratory infection, GERD, PTSD, anxiety condition, manic-depressive reaction, and psychiatric disorder other than unspecified depressive disorder with symptoms of suicidal ideation. An initial 50% rating was granted for the service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.
- Dismissed
Your previous claim for acute chronic bronchitis was denied in 2012. The VA sent you a letter informing you to use the correct form to file your new presumptive service connection claim for shortness of breath. Your appeal is dismissed because the November 30, 2022, letter did not constitute a final decision by the agency.
- Granted
The Veteran's chronic respiratory disorder was found to have its onset in service and granted service connection.
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