The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a right lung disorder, to include a pneumothorax, as the Veteran's condition was not caused by VA treatment and there was no negligence or fault on the part of VA.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's right lung disorder did not result from carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar fault on VA's part in furnishing hospital care, medical or surgical treatment, or examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Right lung disorder, Pneumothorax
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18132304
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 18132304.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his pulmonary fibrosis was at least as likely as not related to his presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange). The decision also considers whether his service-connected diabetes mellitus contributed to his lung conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and VA treatment records.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for residuals of pneumothorax has been granted. The initial rating for PTSD before October 29, 2020 remains denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right lung disorder, finding that the Veteran's current respiratory disorder is not related to his in-service MVA and there is no evidence of a gunshot wound during service. The preponderance of the evidence supports this conclusion.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.