The Board found that the veteran's chronic bronchitis with bronchiectasis did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating, and thus denied his claim for an increased disability rating.
The deciding factor: The objective evidence showed FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC values within the 30 percent rating criteria, without showing incapacitating episodes of infection, near-constant findings of cough with purulent sputum or frank hemoptysis requiring antibiotic usage more than twice a year.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- March 21, 2006
- Citation
- 0608133
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for chronic bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, and rhinitis were granted. The claims for service connection for right hand disability, right shoulder disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, erectile dysfunction, bilateral shoulder disability, and left wrist disability were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lung disability, to include bronchiectasis, based on herbicide agent exposure due to the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for asthma, bronchitis, and COPD due to inadequate medical opinions.
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