The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for residuals of a pulmonary mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, with residual apical scarring and obstructive pulmonary disease (including emphysema and bronchiectasis), is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not indicate that the Veteran has experienced incapacitating episodes of infection or near constant findings of cough with purulent sputum associated with anorexia, weight loss, and frank hemoptysis requiring antibiotic usage almost continuously.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of pulmonary mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, bronchiectasis, obstructive pulmonary disease (including emphysema and bronchiectasis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 23, 2018
- Citation
- 18152460
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 18152460.
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 granted service connection for a lung disability, to include bronchiectasis, based on herbicide agent exposure due to the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bronchiectasis and allergic rhinitis, finding no evidence of a causal relationship between the in-service toxic exposures and the current conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a respiratory disability, diagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung, atelectasis, and bronchiectasis, to obtain an updated TERA memorandum and new VA opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA medical opinion to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lung disability, considering both direct service connection and toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) theories.
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