The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for allergic rhinitis and a respiratory disorder, but has denied service connection for pulmonary vascular disease. The remaining issues of service connection for bronchiectasis and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are remanded due to the need for additional development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence submitted by the Veteran related to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate his claims, but did not find a current disability or establish a nexus between service and any claimed conditions. The remaining issues require further development including obtaining medical opinions on the relationship of the Veteran's current conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- allergic rhinitis, respiratory disorder (including asthma and COPD), bronchiectasis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18126355
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 18126355.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of SMC based on aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete findings and failure to properly address the onset, cause, and nature of his conditions. The VA will need to schedule examinations to determine if his rhinitis and bilateral hand disabilities are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence received, and a need for additional medical opinions considering the Veteran's military occupation as a water safety survival instructor.
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