The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for cracked ribs has been denied as there is no evidence of rib removal or resection without regeneration.,Service connection for lung conditions (COPD and Bronchiectasis) and back condition (Cracked Vertebra and Degenerative Joint Disease) are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.,Cold injury residuals of bilateral feet, hands, and face have been remanded as there is insufficient evidence on file to determine if they are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for cracked ribs was denied because the evidence did not show that any ribs had been removed or resected without regeneration.,Service connection for lung conditions and back condition were remanded as there is insufficient medical evidence to determine if these conditions are related to service, including exposure to fuels in the motor pool and cold weather exposure during service.,Cold injury residuals of bilateral feet, hands, and face have been remanded because there is no documentation of treatment or diagnosis from service.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Condition (Cracked Vertebra and Degenerative Joint Disease), Cold Injury Residuals - Bilateral Feet, Cold Injury Residuals - Bilateral Hands, Cold Injury Residuals - Face, Cracked Ribs, Lung Condition (COPD and Bronchiectasis)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19179591
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 880 · Granted: 26% (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 19179591.
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
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