The Board remands the service connection claim for COPD with pulmonary hypertension due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's exposure and current diagnosis.
The deciding factor: The June 2025 VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's probable exposure to automotive exhaust gases, fuels, oils, and asbestos in relation to his current diagnosis of COPD with pulmonary hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with pulmonary hypertension
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25101325
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 709 · Granted: 38% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25101325.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, lung cancer, and COPD with pulmonary hypertension have been dismissed as moot because these conditions are already service-connected.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left leg disability is reopened, and the appeal is granted.
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