The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his respiratory condition and degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine due to incomplete examination findings. The Veteran is asked to provide a new VA opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his respiratory disability, specifically whether it is related to passive asbestos exposure in service. A new VA examination is also needed for the back disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous examinations were inadequate due to incomplete information and need for further clarification on the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory condition (asbestosis), degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20074349
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 remanded the claim for service connection of a back condition, as the Veteran's character of discharge is considered to be under other than honorable conditions due to willful and persistent misconduct.
- Partly granted
The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a low back disability, and granted service connection based on the medical opinion that the current degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine are related to the veteran's in-service injury.
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