The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine if the Veteran's current lung disorder, other than his service-connected Castleman’s disease, is related to military service and/or hazardous exposures during service. The AOJ should obtain any outstanding VA medical records and request an advisory opinion from an independent medical expert.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development was necessary due to the complexity of the medical problem and the need for an advisory opinion from an independent medical expert.
- Claimed conditions
- lung disorder other than Castleman’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19189758
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 19189758.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a new VA examination to adequately assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected COPD with emphysema.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of COPD with emphysema to obtain a more adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's in-service exposures and his current respiratory condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with emphysema, finding that the evidence supports a direct link to the Veteran's exposure to fire and burns in service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for a compensable rating for service-connected COPD with emphysema due to inadequate VA examination reports.
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