The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for rheumatoid lung disease, mediastinal nodes enlargement, and a lung condition to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his conditions and service.
The deciding factor: The VA examination provided by the November 2019 examiner was inadequate as it did not address whether the Veteran's conditions are related to herbicide exposure or service treatment records. The Board found that remand is necessary for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid lung disease, mediastinal nodes enlargement, lung condition (including pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21026659
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 21026659.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, rheumatoid lung disease, and mediastinal nodes as they are considered part of the Veteran's already granted interstitial lung disease.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran did not suffer additional disability due to VA medical treatment, including intentional infliction of mental and emotional distress, twisted toes, failure by VA employees to provide foot treatment from 2001 through 2007, incorrect diagnosis of lupus, or failure and/or refusal to diagnose and treat angioedema.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened and is granted.
- Partly granted
The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death, and there is insufficient evidence to establish a connection between his lung diseases and exposure to asbestos or carbon dioxide. The claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis was previously denied and has not been reopened.
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