The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory and/or pulmonary disorder, including interstitial lung disease, interstitial pneumonia, and bronchitis, due to asbestos exposure is remanded. The Veteran also has claims for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU which are being remanded as well.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to verify the Veteran's reported asbestos exposure during service and determine if there is a relationship between such exposure and any diagnosed respiratory disorders, including interstitial lung disease, interstitial pneumonia, and bronchitis. Additionally, a new VA examination for PTSD is needed to assess its current severity.
- Claimed conditions
- Interstitial lung disease, Interstitial pneumonia, Bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2018
- Citation
- 18128409
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 18128409.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial disability rating for bronchitis with asthma is granted at a 60 percent level through December 26, 2023. The rating of 10 percent between December 27, 2023 and November 11, 2025 is denied. A higher rating since November 12, 2025 is also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of January 30, 2018, for the evaluation of bronchitis is granted. The Board found that the Veteran continuously pursued his claims and the AOJ erred in denying the claim based on incorrect appeal form submission.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of interstitial lung disease, and the appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
For the period prior to June 3, 2024, a 40 percent evaluation for degenerative disc disease L4-5 (lumbar disability) is granted.,For the entire period on appeal, an evaluation more than 40 percent for a lumbar disability is denied.
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