The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD, joint arthritis (including in his knees and elbows), cervical spine arthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, shoulder arthritis, elbow arthritis, hand arthritis, hip arthritis, and foot arthritis are not related to service. The Board finds that additional examinations are needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not adequately address the Veteran's in-service exposure or his statements regarding when he first experienced symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, Osteoarthritis (lumbar spine), Osteoarthritis (cervical spine), Osteoarthritis (ankles), Osteoarthritis (elbows), Osteoarthritis (feet), Osteoarthritis (hands), Osteoarthritis (hips), Osteoarthritis (knees), Osteoarthritis (shoulders)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19186564
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).
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date earlier than August 10, 2022, for the grant of a 60 percent rating for sarcoidosis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.