The Veteran's lung disability is remanded for a new medical opinion considering her service-related toxic exposure, including aerosolized mercury as a dental assistant and potential environmental exposures at Fort McClellan.
The deciding factor: A new medical opinion is needed to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lung disability, specifically addressing her in-service exposure to toxic substances.
- Claimed conditions
- lung nodules, mild obstructive lung disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26010918
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 A26010918.
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 appeals for service connection were dismissed due to procedural defects in the submission of the VA Form 10182, which was not an accepted format for appeal in the modernized review system.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal because his request for an extension of time to file a Board Appeal request was not timely, and good cause has not been shown.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction and remanded claims for service connection for eczema, COPD, lumbosacral strain with IVDS, bilateral restless leg syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and lung nodules.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pancreatic nodule, lung nodules and asthma, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and cervical spine disorder as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the disabilities were related to military service.
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