The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disorders, particularly whether they are related to his service in Vietnam. The Veteran contends that he developed these conditions due to exposure to various hazardous chemicals while serving in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's current respiratory disorders are related to his service in Vietnam and remanded for a VA examination to address this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Respiratory Disorder, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), Chronic Cough
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22013974
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 22013974.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be due to COPD, but the Board found no evidence linking this condition to his service or exposure to herbicide agents. As such, service connection for the cause of death is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD with OSA has been granted an initial rating of 60 percent effective May 1, 2019. The claim for separate ratings is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for OSA and COPD on a secondary basis, as well as the initial rating for constipation. The issues of entitlement to SMC-HB and TDIU have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial compensable evaluation of service-connected COPD to ensure a proper medical examination is conducted.
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