The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's breathing issues and asbestos exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s breathing issues are related to his asbestos exposure, which is necessary for a full decision.
- Claimed conditions
- breathing issues, recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, any other respiratory or lung disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19180379
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,341 · Granted: 33% (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 19180379.
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 Veteran's service connection claims for breathing issues and obstructive sleep apnea have been denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for adjustment disorder unspecified, chronic with insomnia is dismissed.,The appeal for service connection for CFS is denied.,The appeals for service connection for IBS, BHL, and breathing issues are dismissed.,The appeals for service connection for left foot gout, migraines, OSA, and body dysmorphia are remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral athletes' foot, onychomycosis and tinea nigra, a skin condition other than onychomycosis, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral restless leg syndrome, breathing issues, left knee pain, lumbar spine disability, migraines, an acquired psychiatric disorder claimed as PTSD with anxiety and insomnia (also claimed as sleep disturbances), and tinnitus.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for extensions of time to file Board Appeal requests were denied, and the attempted appeals are therefore dismissed.
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