The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic bronchitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.,The Veteran's body rash, presumed due to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam, is remanded for further examination and medical opinion regarding its etiology.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not show that the Veteran’s chronic bronchitis has been manifested by FEV-1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in one second) of 40 to 55 percent predicted; or FEV-1/FVC (Forced Vital Capacity) of 40 to 55 percent; or DLCO (SB) (Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method) of 40 to 55 percent predicted, or maximum oxygen consumption of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min (with cardiorespiratory limit).,The Veteran's body rash is presumed due to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to determine the etiology of his skin rashes.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic bronchitis, body rash (presumed due to herbicide exposure), acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, depression, anxiety)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147454
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19147454.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed chronic bronchitis. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, which was denied in an initial decision. The VA examiner did not address the medical record indicating a current diagnosis of chronic bronchitis.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for depression, Gram Positive Cocci Condition, chronic bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and diseases of Keratinization due to untimely filing of the Decision Review Request.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for chronic bronchitis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for chronic bronchitis and remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to duty-to-assist errors.
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