The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his claims of service connection for COPD, left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, and right hand carpal tunnel syndrome. The VA examiner must provide an opinion on the relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service, including exposure to environmental hazards during the Gulf War.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner is required to consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding his symptoms and the etiology of his disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, right hand carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19176711
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 an evaluation greater than 20 percent for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, as the evidence did not show severe incomplete paralysis of the median nerve.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an increased evaluation for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome is dismissed due to administrative error and the need to proceed in the legacy appeal system.
- 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.
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