The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's interstitial fibrosis is related to his service, specifically asbestos exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner will need to provide a clear statement on whether the Veteran’s current pulmonary disability is at least as likely as not caused by or a result of events while in service, including any asbestos exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Interstitial fibrosis, Pulmonary disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132488
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for a pulmonary disability and remanded the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of current evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a pulmonary disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active service or exposure to asbestos and herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected interstitial fibrosis is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the objective evidence of record.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed respiratory disorder, which may be related to service exposure. The issues of service connection for interstitial fibrosis and entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are also being addressed.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.