The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD with bilateral pleural thick thinning is remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to asbestos during service.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to confirm the Veteran’s exposure to asbestos and conduct a VA examination to determine if his COPD is related to this exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, bilateral pleural thickening
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19146356
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 COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's respiratory condition and his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a TDIU, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date earlier than August 10, 2022, for the grant of a 60 percent rating for sarcoidosis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD.
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