The veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes as his combined schedular evaluation is less than 100 percent.
The deciding factor: The veteran has multiple service-connected disabilities, but their combined schedular evaluations are below the threshold required for a permanent and total disability rating under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Postoperative Bilateral Spontaneous Pneumothorax, Depression and Dysthymic Disorder, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Cervical Spine, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Ulnar Neuropathy of the Right Arm, Ulnar Neuropathy of the Left Arm, Scars of the Lower Lip and Nose, Scars of the Back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 2, 2000
- Citation
- 0020305
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0020305.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused or contributed to by service or a service-connected disability. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death as there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and no other link between the Veteran's death and his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, disability manifested by skin rash and lesions on feet and hands, respiratory disability manifested by difficulty breathing, disability manifested by muscle pain and cramping, and joint pain in arms and legs, and chronic headaches, all due to an undiagnosed illness.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including diabetes, erectile dysfunction, bilateral shoulder disability, hemorrhoids, and knee and ankle disabilities, was dismissed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's PTSD, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with IVDS and spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, right upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction.
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