The Veteran's idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is etiologically linked to his presumed in-service herbicide exposure, and the Board finds that service connection for this condition should be granted.
The deciding factor: The positive opinions of private physicians outweigh the negative VA medical opinion, which did not rely on a physical examination and merely cited to the fact that pulmonary fibrosis is not a disease for which presumptive service connection is granted.
- Claimed conditions
- idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2016
- Citation
- 1641425
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 1641425.
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 Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, including as due to exposure to herbicides and burn pits, should be remanded. The AOJ must obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was denied, while the Veteran's claim for service connection for diarrhea as secondary to his service-connected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was granted.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, finding that the Veteran's exposure to toxic occupational exposures during his military service is at least as likely as not a primary cause of his condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for pulmonary hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's already service-connected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
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