The Veteran's service-connected bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 60 percent, as his pulmonary function test results do not indicate values to less than 40 percent predicted or exercise capacity below 15 ml/kg/min.
The deciding factor: Pulmonary function test results did not show FEV-1, FEV-1/FVC or DLCO to be less than 40% predicted and maximum exercise capacity was above 15 ml/kg/min.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2012
- Citation
- 1210400
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1210400.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for hearing loss, Crohn's disease, and bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax for accrued benefits purposes due to an unresolved issue regarding whether the appellant qualifies as a 'child' eligible for VA benefits. The RO is instructed to adjudicate this matter.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The issue of a compensable rating for his bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is remanded due to new evidence suggesting worsening.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax has contributed to a decrement in pulmonary function testing and FVC values, warranting a 10 percent disability rating.
- Whole decision: 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.
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