The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep apnea and anxiety as secondary to left spontaneous pneumothorax due to inadequate VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not provide sufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current acquired psychological disorders are related to his service-connected breathing disability or if they were caused by or aggravated by it.
- Claimed conditions
- left spontaneous pneumothorax
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19172518
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 19172518.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and left spontaneous pneumothorax due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran needs a VA examination for both conditions.
- Denied
The Board has denied a compensable rating for left spontaneous pneumothorax as the Veteran's condition is not shown to warrant such a rating based on his medical records and examination findings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining updated opinions from private physicians and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's respiratory disorders and left spontaneous pneumothorax.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left spontaneous pneumothorax is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that suggests a relationship between his current COPD and lung cancer diagnoses and his military service. The Board must now evaluate whether he should be granted service connection for these conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.