The Board has determined that the November 2020 VA medical opinion is inadequate and not helpful to decide the Veteran's service connection claim for COPD. The case is being remanded to obtain a new addendum medical opinion addressing whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's diagnosed COPD was caused or aggravated by an in-service injury or disease, specifically exposure to asbestos.
The deciding factor: The November 2020 VA medical opinion regarding direct service connection for COPD based on the lack of evidence or treatment for COPD for more than four decades following service is conflicting with a positive medical opinion regarding aggravation of a pre-service disability due to asbestos exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD (claimed as thickening/calcification)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2021
- Citation
- A21019452
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 A21019452.
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 right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service connected due to his fear of hostile military activity during his Vietnam service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune during service.
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