The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an examination assessing whether any respiratory disorder is related to inservice asbestos exposure. The Veteran's service connection claim for a respiratory disorder, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pleurisy, will be reconsidered after the VA examination.
The deciding factor: The need for a VA examination to assess the relationship between the Veteran's current respiratory disorders and his inservice asbestos exposure is due to the lack of supporting medical evidence in the record.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pleurisy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19190412
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 19190412.
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.
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The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric condition.
- Partly granted
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- Granted
The Board granted an increased (Level 2) stipend in the PCAFC for the Veteran's caregiver due to the need for continuous supervision and protection based on the Veteran's medical conditions.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all claims on appeal, and the Board dismissed the appeal.
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