The Veteran's service-connected bronchitis and emphysema diagnosed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease did not cause or permanently aggravate his loss of use of the legs, nor does he have a separate disability that resulted in such loss. As a result, his claims for service connection and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the feet are denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's bronchitis and emphysema caused or aggravated his degenerative joint disease, which resulted in loss of use of the legs. The VA examiner found no loss of use of the lower extremities due to service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (bronchitis and emphysema)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181761
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
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