The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development and an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cause of death, including pulmonary fibrosis, honeycomb lung, and malignant melanoma of the auricle.
The deciding factor: The RO did not address the Veteran’s in-service diagnoses and removals that could have contributed to his conditions listed as the cause of death. The Board also acknowledged positive opinions linking exposure to radiation with the Veteran's cause of death but found these opinions inadequate due to lack of information on the level of exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary fibrosis, honeycomb lung, malignant melanoma of the auricle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2020
- Citation
- A20018849
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 A20018849.
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 pulmonary fibrosis as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.
- Granted
The Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis is related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining signed consent forms and an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lung complications.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder, including interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, and pulmonary asbestosis, due to in-service asbestos exposure.
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