The Board has remanded the case for a medical opinion to determine whether the Veteran's fatal lobar pneumonia, chronic respiratory failure, and/or severe COPD had its onset in, or is otherwise related to his military service. The opinion should address potential environmental exposures during service and their relation to hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA physician did not have sufficient information to provide a comprehensive opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death due to lack of consideration of certain factors and medical literature.
- Claimed conditions
- lobar pneumonia, chronic respiratory failure, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2021
- Citation
- 21065128
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21065128.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has readjudicated the previously denied claim of service connection for cause of death, finding that new and relevant evidence supports reopening the claim. However, the evidence does not establish a link between any service-connected conditions and the Veteran's cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including dental trauma, chronic respiratory failure, headaches, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, low back disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, hemorrhoids, epigastric pain, thyroid disability, monoclonal paraproteinemia, and hip disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's daughter was granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and potential TERA exposure, requiring a VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disabilities.
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