The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral hip disorder, finding that it was incurred in or as a result of service. Service connection is also granted for the veteran's heart and respiratory conditions to include COPD, bullous disease, and residuals of a collapsed left lung, based on secondary service connection due to his arthritis of the lumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's bilateral hip disorder was either directly caused by his service activities or was secondary to the limited range of motion in his lumbar spine due to arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Disorder, Bilateral Hip Disorder, Respiratory Condition (COPD, Bullous Disease, Residuals of a Collapsed Left Lung)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2003
- Citation
- 0336521
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 0336521.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the service connection claims for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Heart Disorder due to a duty to assist error in obtaining opinions regarding whether these conditions are aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disorder and OSA, as secondary to a heart disorder due to incomplete records and failure to consider all relevant in-service exposures. The Veteran's exposure to PFAS at Robins AFB is acknowledged, but further development is needed to address his COPD and smoking history.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a heart disorder is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the July 2020 VA medical opinion, which did not adequately address the Veteran's assertions regarding the carelessness or negligence of his health care providers and the failure to diagnose and treat his heart condition.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disorder, characterized as an exercise induced left bundle branch block, began during his active duty service and is therefore granted service connection.
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