The Board has found that the Veteran met the criteria for a 'radiation-exposed veteran' based on his participation in atomic testing at Nevada sites during his active service. The claim is remanded due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding whether the lung condition may have been related to any incident of service, including ionizing radiation exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion did not consider the studies submitted by the appellant regarding the impact of thorium, beryllium, and radionuclides on the respiratory system as instructed by the Board's prior remand directives.
- Claimed conditions
- lung condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21012944
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 21012944.
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 lung condition, including pneumonia residuals, COPD, and emphysema, is remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his military service. The appeal is reopened based on new evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lung condition and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded for additional development to determine if they are related to service, specifically his in-service pneumonia. The claims will also be reviewed for secondary service connection due to the Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was denied, and the Board found that no effective date prior to May 30, 2019 is warranted.
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