The Board has granted service connection for COPD and hypertension, finding that both conditions are related to the Veteran's military service. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities is rated at 20 percent from February 21, 2007 to January 11, 2017, and at 40 percent thereafter. His peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerves was rated at 20 percent prior to April 10, 2010, and at 40 percent thereafter. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence supported a finding of service connection for COPD and hypertension based on their presumptive relationship to military service. For his peripheral neuropathy, the Board determined that the disability was manifested by moderate incomplete paralysis from January 12, 2017 onwards, which warranted a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2017
- Citation
- 1729456
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 1729456.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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