The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected pulmonary disorder.
The deciding factor: The current evaluation does not provide sufficient information on the severity and progression of the Veteran’s interstitial and restrictive lung disabilities, necessitating further assessment through a comprehensive examination with all required pulmonary function tests.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19177789
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,077 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19177789.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for a heart disorder, Parkinson's disease, pulmonary disorder, skin rash, and posttraumatic stress disorder are dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary disorder, finding that there is no causal or etiological relationship between his current condition and any disease, injury, or incident during service. The Board considered all relevant evidence, including VA and private treatment records, as well as the Veteran's reported in-service exposure to various irritants, but concluded that smoking was the significant risk factor for developing COPD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's pulmonary disorder and its relation to service, particularly asbestos exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for a neurological disorder, specifically restless leg syndrome (RLS). The pulmonary disorder claim is denied.
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