The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder manifesting as coughing and choking, with vomiting while coughing and a lot of mucous in the throat due to an undiagnosed illness. The decision is based on evidence that the Veteran's symptoms are manifestations of an undiagnosed illness arising from his service in Southwest Asia.
The deciding factor: The Board found the combination of medical opinions collectively supported that the Veteran’s respiratory symptoms amount to an undiagnosed illness related to his service in Iraq, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disorder (claimed as COPD), undiagnosed illness
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21021707
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 21021707.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 1117 and residuals of malaria preventative medication.
- Denied
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- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for sinusitis and an undiagnosed illness as the Veteran's sinusitis is already service-connected.
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