The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for pulmonary disorder and sleep disorder other than sleep apnea due to additional development being required. The issues are related to service connection, with exposure to burn pits in Afghanistan considered.
The deciding factor: Additional medical opinions were needed to address the etiology of the Veteran’s respiratory and sleep disorders, including consideration of environmental exposures during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary Disorder, Sleep Disorder Other Than Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20041970
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 20041970.
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 has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his exposure to asbestos, particularly during service aboard a ship. A new examination and opinion are needed under the PACT Act for the Veteran's claimed pulmonary disorder.
- Dismissed
The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for a sleep disorder other than sleep apnea is dismissed. The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea, including as due to PTSD, is denied.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a pulmonary disorder, including as due to herbicide exposure and contaminated water Camp LeJeune exposure. The evidence does not support a finding that his lung disorders are related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for a pulmonary disorder is remanded due to incomplete history, inadequate examination report, and failure to consider all relevant evidence including asbestos exposure. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with new opinions addressing his multiple occurrences of pneumonia during active duty.
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