The Board has granted service connection for a lung disability, specifically spontaneous pneumothorax, and assigned a zero percent rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner provided an opinion that the Veteran's spontaneous pneumothorax is at least as likely as not related to his active service.
- Claimed conditions
- spontaneous pneumothorax
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- December 21, 2016
- Citation
- 1647506
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 1647506.
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 claims for sarcoidosis, unilateral complete paralysis of vocal cords, and spontaneous pneumothorax are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. A VA examination is needed to determine the likely etiology of the Veteran's sarcoidosis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for spontaneous pneumothorax, finding no evidence of a causal relationship between the condition and military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA opinion is inadequate and requires further examination to determine if the Veteran's chronic sinusitis contributed to his cause of death, which includes pneumonia and sepsis.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea and spontaneous pneumothorax, as well as an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, was denied. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea required the use of a CPAP machine but did not meet the criteria for higher ratings due to his FEV-1/FVC levels. His bilateral hearing loss was rated at Level I and therefore noncompensably disabling.
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