The Veteran's claim for service connection for shortness of breath was denied. The claims for higher ratings for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome were initially denied, but the rating for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome was granted as of October 7, 2019, and the rating for left hand carpal tunnel syndrome remains at 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's shortness of breath claim could not be reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claims for higher ratings were denied prior to October 7, 2019, but granted as of that date for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Claimed conditions
- shortness of breath, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20070707
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (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 20070707.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal, including obtaining any outstanding treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's representative also requested reevaluation of his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that symptoms began many years after separation from service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on four different conditions have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the appeal process.
- Granted
The Veteran's shortness of breath and Hodgkin's lymphoma are granted service connection, but his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and acquired psychiatric disorder are denied.
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