The Board has remanded the claims for mesothelioma and cause of death due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran's mesothelioma is being reviewed again with a new VA examiner, and additional records from NASA are needed.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examiners' opinions were insufficient as they did not provide clear conclusions with supporting data and detailed rationale for the etiology of the Veteran’s mesothelioma.
- Claimed conditions
- mesothelioma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20008255
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for lung condition, to include asthma, COPD, emphysema, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and adjustment disorder, but denied service connection for mesothelioma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for lung conditions, including asthma, COPD, mesothelioma, and emphysema, due to an inadequate medical opinion addressing the etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that it was etiologically related to in-service asbestos exposure.
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