The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for burns to his lungs and increased initial ratings for PTSD and burns to his hands, face, arms and neck. The veteran was not granted service connection for burns to his lungs due to lack of evidence showing a chronic condition during or after service. For PTSD, the rating assigned was 10 percent prior to June 14, 2007, and increased to 100 percent thereafter.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish that the veteran had any chronic residuals from burns to his lungs resulting from an in-service event, as there were no complaints or findings of respiratory issues during service. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's dyspnea was likely due to tobacco abuse rather than a residual effect of the in-service burn.
- Claimed conditions
- History of burns to the lungs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 23, 2008
- Citation
- 0836384
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 0836384.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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