The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for pleural plaques and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to incomplete development of records.
The deciding factor: Incomplete development of medical treatment records and TDIU claim form prevented full adjudication of the issues.
- Claimed conditions
- pleural plaques (claimed as asbestosis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21003713
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 21003713.
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 Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is dismissed without prejudice.,His claim for a higher rating for pleural plaques, claimed as asbestosis, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a 10 percent evaluation based on multiple, noncompensable service-connected disabilities is dismissed. The appeals for initial compensable evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and pleural plaques (claimed as asbestosis) are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 100 percent rating for pleural plaques, finding that the Veteran's service-connected condition is responsible for his need for outpatient oxygen therapy. The decision also notes that there was substantial compliance with previous remand directives.
- Granted
The Veteran's pleural plaques are now rated as 60 percent disabling, and the claim for a TDIU is denied.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.