The Board remands the matter for a new VA examination to adequately assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected COPD with emphysema.
The deciding factor: A remand is necessary due to a pre-decision duty to assist error, as the January 2024 VA examiner did not report maximum oxygen consumption findings.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25033232
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 Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of COPD with emphysema to obtain a more adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's in-service exposures and his current respiratory condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with emphysema, finding that the evidence supports a direct link to the Veteran's exposure to fire and burns in service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for a compensable rating for service-connected COPD with emphysema due to inadequate VA examination reports.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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