The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative spine disorder and service connection for shortness of breath. The Veteran was not granted a higher rating for his back disability, and it was determined that he did not have a valid respiratory diagnosis.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran does not have a valid respiratory diagnosis related to shortness of breath, rendering the claim for service connection denied.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative spine disorder, Shortness of breath
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20002178
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, residuals of a right foot injury, sinusitis, shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence to support a diagnosis or onset of the claimed conditions during active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for COPD, Parkinson's disease, and peripheral neuropathy of all extremities to schedule examinations to determine if there is a relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides during his service in Vietnam.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all claims, including a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae and service connection for various other conditions.
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