The Board has determined that the Veteran's left pleural effusion, claimed as loss of left lung, is an additional disability caused by VA fault in performing the January 2015 VA heart surgery. Therefore, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for this condition is granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran developed a left pleural effusion following his January 2015 VA heart surgery and Dr. A's opinion supports that this was caused by VA fault in evacuating the pleural space during the procedure.
- Claimed conditions
- Left pleural effusion, Loss of left lung
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18142315
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 18142315.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for COPD as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left pleural effusion, finding that there is equipoise evidence supporting this claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left leg disability is reopened, and the appeal is granted.
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