The Board denied a compensable evaluation for residuals of an injury to the pleural cavity and remanded the issue of service connection for a cardiovascular disability, finding that there was no evidence of aggravation by the service-connected pleural cavity injury.
The deciding factor: There is no medical opinion indicating that any current cardiovascular disability is aggravated by the service-connected pleural cavity injury.
- Claimed conditions
- pleural cavity injury
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2000
- Citation
- 0031169
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 0031169.
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: Granted
The Veteran's TDIU was granted from April 17, 2006 due to service-connected PTSD and other disabilities meeting the schedular requirements for a TDIU. The effective date of December 31, 2009 is incorrect as evidence shows unemployability prior to that date.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and adjudicating the claims of service connection for a rib disability other than rib resection of the 10th posterior rib (to include additional rib removal) and a psychiatric disability (to include PTSD).
- Whole decision: Denied
The VA has denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's pleural cavity injury secondary to a shell fragment wound and spontaneous pneumothorax, as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher disability rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, singly or in combination, do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining any form of substantially gainful employment.
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