The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pulmonary hypertension and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to pulmonary hypertension.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that the Veteran's pulmonary hypertension had its onset during military service, within one year following separation from service, or was caused by his military service. The Board found no credible evidence of ionizing radiation exposure or burn pit toxin exposure in service, and the medical evidence supported a finding that the condition was more likely related to the Veteran's history as a heavy smoker.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25031890
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for pulmonary hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's already service-connected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain a VA opinion to determine which disability, obstructive sleep apnea or restrictive airway disease, was predominant from November 8, 2012 to May 22, 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include pulmonary hypertension, asbestosis, pleural plaques, and obstructive and restrictive lung diseases, due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for pulmonary hypertension and erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension, but denied service connection for lead poisoning and carbon monoxide poisoning. The Board also denied a compensable initial disability rating for hypertension and an increased initial disability rating for lumbosacral strain.
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