The Veteran was granted an earlier effective date of August 22, 2019, for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), as well as February 21, 2020, for special monthly compensation (SMC) due to housebound status. The COPD was rated at 100 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's FEV-1 levels were less than 40 percent of predicted value, warranting a 100 percent rating under the applicable criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- May 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25043788
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 A25043788.
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.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is granted with an effective date of July 25, 2023.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is dismissed as it does not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Granted
The Veteran's schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas from November 15, 2016, to August 10, 2021.,Beginning August 11, 2021, the disability caused total occupational and social impairment.
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