The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of death for purposes of receiving DIC. The Veteran died in November 2008 due to COPD and respiratory failure, but VA medical records do not provide sufficient information on his exposure to asbestos or smoking history.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's COPD was related to service, particularly regarding his exposure to asbestos and smoking history.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Respiratory Failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19124424
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 Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for COPD as secondary to diabetes and denied increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy conditions, while dismissing claims related to upper extremity neuropathy.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) as he does not meet the criteria for an increased rate based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 60 percent rating for COPD, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
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