The Veteran's recurrent bronchitis is granted as service-connected due to exposure to burn pits during deployment, with presumptive service connection under the PACT Act.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of recurrent bronchitis was less likely caused by in-service events. However, a private physician provided an opinion linking the condition to exposures during service, including burn pits, which is supported by the Veteran's consistent reports and STRs indicating respiratory issues since 1996.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2026
- Citation
- A26034816
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 A26034816.
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 Board denied service connection for asthma, chronic sinusitis, recurrent bronchitis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, myocardial infarction, sleep apnea, stroke, right ear hearing loss, and hemorrhoids. The Veteran was also denied a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for PTSD but denied service connection for a respiratory disability to include recurrent bronchitis.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for service-connected recurrent bronchitis has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection of recurrent bronchitis, left knee disorder, and neck disorder is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The issues are related to whether these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.
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