The appeal seeking to reopen a claim of service connection for headaches and dizziness with blackouts is denied.,The appeals seeking to reopen claims of service connection for bronchitis and COPD are granted. The Board finds that the evidence received since the February 1995 rating decision is both new and material, and that the claims of service connection for bronchitis and COPD may be reopened on de novo review.,The appeal seeking to reopen a claim of service connection for chronic sinusitis is remanded.,The appeal seeking to reopen a claim of service connection for allergic rhinitis is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the February 1995 rating decision does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims of service connection for headaches and dizziness with blackouts.,The July 2019 medical opinion statement suggests that the claimed disabilities may be related to the Veteran's active duty service and/or environmental exposures therein, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating such claims.,The evidence received since the February 1995 rating decision does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims of service connection for chronic sinusitis.,The evidence received since the February 1995 rating decision does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches and dizziness with blackouts, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19190352
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 19190352.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine pain, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent yeast infections. The claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder and left knee pain were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's allergic rhinitis, including whether there is any nasal obstruction or polyps.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
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