The Board found that the Veteran's condition warranted emergency treatment and that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected delay in seeking medical attention to be hazardous. The decision grants reimbursement for unauthorized private medical expenses incurred on October 10, 2011.
The deciding factor: The Veteran sought immediate care due to symptoms of dizziness, near-passing out from coughing, and elevated pulse rate, which he reasonably feared could indicate a serious health condition such as a pulmonary blood clot. The Board found that the emergency nature of his symptoms justified seeking treatment at a local facility.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute Bronchitis, Pulmonary Blood Clot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2015
- Citation
- 1514953
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 1514953.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for acute bronchitis is being remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, requiring a VA medical opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, while dismissing the appeal for sinusitis. The claims for initial disability ratings for acute bronchitis and right knee osteoarthritis were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis, and COPD as there is no evidence of a current respiratory condition related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type 2, is currently rated at 20 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,For service connection claims for basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, pulmonary crystal on lung, and acute bronchitis due to herbicide exposure, further examination and opinion are needed.
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