The Board has decided to remand three issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his disabilities. The main reasons are that there is insufficient medical evidence to determine if the lung disability (asbestosis) and degenerative arthritis of the left knee are related to service, particularly given the Veteran's reports of asbestos exposure during service. Additionally, the Board finds it necessary to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s current degenerative arthritis of the left knee is aggravated by his service-connected Pellegrini-Steida disease.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded due to insufficient medical evidence to determine if the lung disability and degenerative arthritis are related to service, particularly given the Veteran's reports of asbestos exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- lung disability (asbestosis), degenerative arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20008419
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20008419.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left femur fracture with degenerative arthritis of the left knee was dismissed because there was no appealable decision on this issue in the year preceding the June 2021 Notice of Disagreement.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine and left knee, finding that there is a causal relationship between these conditions and service based on continuity of symptoms since service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability, along with other disabilities, rendered her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of April 1, 2020. She is granted a TDIU effective from that date.,Effective April 1, 2020, the Veteran also received SMC at the 's' rate due to having one service-connected disability rated as 100 percent disabling and additional disabilities independently rated at least 60 percent disabling.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for irritable bowel syndrome was granted. The claims for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees are remanded.
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