The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for liver, kidney, and lung conditions due to insufficient information about the qualifications of the VA examiner who performed a July 2020 examination. The Veteran's representative also requested records from Dr. Bowers, but their relevance to the current issues is unclear.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the qualifications of the VA examiner were not established and thus remanded for further information.
- Claimed conditions
- liver condition, kidney condition, lung condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21042668
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 21042668.
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 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.
- 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 claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for further review of the evidence. The Board is unable to determine if there was a factual increase in disability prior to the effective dates requested, or if service connection should be granted based on the current evidence.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
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