The Board found that the veteran's interstitial fibrosis is manifested by Forced Vital Capacity values of greater than 80 percent and Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO) of greater than 80 percent since November 19, 1996. However, these values do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6825.
The deciding factor: The veteran's PFT results did not show FVC and DLCO SB values meeting the required criteria for a 10% evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6825.
- Claimed conditions
- Interstitial fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- April 2, 2004
- Citation
- 0408606
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,458 · Granted: 24% (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 0408606.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied a higher initial disability rating for the service-connected respiratory disability, finding that the Veteran's FVC was only 65% of predicted value, which does not meet the criteria for any compensable rating under the applicable VA Rating Schedule.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's interstitial fibrosis is etiologically related to his active-duty service, specifically due to his conceded exposure to Agent Orange. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's interstitial fibrosis was rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected interstitial fibrosis is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the objective evidence of record.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.