The Board denied eligibility for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a July 2024 rating decision, as it pertains to the grant of service connection for COPD and basic eligibility to DEA, but granted eligibility for attorney fees related to an increased disability rating of 60 percent for cirrhosis of the liver with hepatitis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2024 rating decision was not based on a prior claim or appeal and thus did not meet the criteria for attorney fee eligibility in those cases, but it did grant an increased disability rating for cirrhosis of the liver which met the criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD with sleep apnea, cirrhosis of the liver with hepatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25098238
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (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 A25098238.
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
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