The Veteran's lung condition, including COPD and pleural disease with plaques, is related to his in-service exposure to asbestos. The Board has ordered additional development to verify the Veteran’s reported exposure to asbestos during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's lung condition is at least as likely as not related to his period of active service, including his reported in-service exposure to asbestos.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, pleural disease with plaques, asbestosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19155249
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 19155249.
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).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a lung condition, to include COPD, asbestosis, and bilateral pleural plaques due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service and his current lung condition.
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