The Veteran's asthma is rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also found that he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's asthma met the criteria for a higher rating (60% or more disability), nor was there sufficient additional disability in combination with other service-connected disabilities to bring the combined rating to 70% or more. The Board found that his service-connected disabilities, including asthma and alcohol use disorder, rendered him unable to obtain or sustain substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- asthma, unspecified trauma-related disorder with alcohol use disorder, right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative joint disease, lumbosacral strain, rheumatoid arthritis (indicated by lumbosacral strain), tinnitus of the right ear, onchomycosis of fingers and toes, serous otitis media
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- March 29, 2023
- Citation
- 23019304
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 23019304.
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 Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases of sleep apnea and asthma due to a failure to provide proper notice for a hearing.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to August 14, 2023.
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