The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's chronic upper respiratory infections, specifically whether they are due to service-connected conditions or an undiagnosed illness.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide opinions on whether the Veteran's diagnosed chronic upper respiratory infections can be attributed to underlying service-connected conditions or if it is a separate disease entity and whether her condition is due to an undiagnosed illness.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic upper respiratory infections
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2017
- Citation
- 1711995
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 1711995.
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 appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was denied, and the appeals for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions were dismissed as a matter of law due to concurrent elections.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including rating determinations and service connection for various conditions. The case is returned to the AOJ for initial review of new evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus are granted as service connected.,Service connection for chronic upper respiratory infections is remanded. Service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability is also remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including emphysema, COPD, bronchitis and chronic upper respiratory infections, finding that there was no evidence of in-service exposure or injury related to these conditions.
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