The Board denied the claim for service connection for a pulmonary disability, including interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, finding that there is no evidence linking the current condition to active service or presumed exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence showing a link between the appellant's active service and his current pulmonary disability.
- Claimed conditions
- interstitial pulmonary fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2020
- Citation
- A20015380
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A20015380.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD) and its associated conditions including interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Raynaud's syndrome. The decision also grants secondary service connection for these conditions as they are manifestations of ASSD.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for pulmonary hypertension and remanded the claims for emphysema and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis to consider additional evidence related to exposure to herbicides and burn pits.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains to adjudicate these claims.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs additional development regarding whether the Veteran's asthma is related to his service-connected interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, as well as any aggravation or causation by exposure to CS gas during boot camp.
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