The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear diagnoses and inadequate examination regarding exposure to environmental hazards. The Veteran's claim for service connection is reopened based on new evidence, but further review is needed.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the Veteran's exposure to environmental hazards during his active service in Southwest Asia.
- Claimed conditions
- spontaneous pneumothorax
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2018
- Citation
- 1811846
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1811846.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for sarcoidosis, unilateral complete paralysis of vocal cords, and spontaneous pneumothorax are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. A VA examination is needed to determine the likely etiology of the Veteran's sarcoidosis.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for spontaneous pneumothorax, finding no evidence of a causal relationship between the condition and military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA opinion is inadequate and requires further examination to determine if the Veteran's chronic sinusitis contributed to his cause of death, which includes pneumonia and sepsis.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea and spontaneous pneumothorax, as well as an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, was denied. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea required the use of a CPAP machine but did not meet the criteria for higher ratings due to his FEV-1/FVC levels. His bilateral hearing loss was rated at Level I and therefore noncompensably disabling.
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