The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for a respiratory disability is granted. The case is remanded for further development and opinion regarding the nature of his current respiratory condition and its relationship to service. The case is also remanded for an ophthalmologist's opinion on the etiology of his left eye cataract and dry eye.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has provided new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim, including a diagnosis of bronchiectasis related to his respiratory problems in service. The case is remanded for further development regarding the nature and etiology of his current respiratory condition.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disability, left eye cataract, left eye dry eye
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19148589
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 multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left and right eye dry eyes, cataracts of the left and right eyes, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left renal arteriovenous malformation, aneurysm, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, recurrent subluxation of the left knee prior to May 13, 2020, left total knee replacement, disability rating in excess of 60 percent from September 1, 2021, forward for left total knee replacement, DJD of the right knee, right knee instability, burns of the bilateral ankles, linear scar of the left knee, post-surgical tender scars of the left knee, and a total disability rating due to unemployability (TDIU) based upon service-connected disabilities prior to June 14, 2019.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for complete loss of sense of smell, an acquired psychiatric disability, a low back disability, a respiratory disability, and tinnitus to schedule VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and remanded the other claims for further development.
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