The Board has remanded the claims for COPD, bilateral interstitial fibrosis, pneumoconiosis, asbestosis and biapical pleural parenchymal thickening due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding their etiology. A new VA examination is required.
The deciding factor: The current medical records do not provide sufficient information to determine if any of the Veteran's claimed respiratory disorders are related to service exposure to asbestos, as indicated by his military occupational specialty and service history.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, bilateral interstitial fibrosis, pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, biapical pleural parenchymal thickening
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19175919
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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