BVA decisions by condition
Tuberculosis pulmonary chronic: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a tuberculosis pulmonary chronic issue in 3,411 decisions. It granted the tuberculosis pulmonary chronic issue in 14.0% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 31.2%, and remanded it in 52.6%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 30.9% were granted.
Decisions
3,411
2017–2026
Granted
14.0%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
30.9%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
52.6%
Denied: 31.2%
Tuberculosis pulmonary chronic outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 293 | 13.0% | 43.7% | 38.6% | 4.8% |
| 2018 | 471 | 10.6% | 39.9% | 45.2% | 4.2% |
| 2019 | 510 | 11.4% | 30.0% | 54.9% | 3.7% |
| 2020 | 475 | 9.9% | 31.8% | 56.0% | 2.3% |
| 2021 | 367 | 12.8% | 30.0% | 53.7% | 3.5% |
| 2022 | 370 | 15.9% | 23.8% | 57.6% | 2.7% |
| 2023 | 343 | 15.2% | 21.0% | 60.3% | 3.5% |
| 2024 | 326 | 20.2% | 23.6% | 55.2% | 0.9% |
| 2025 | 254 | 17.3% | 32.7% | 48.0% | 2.0% |
| 2026 | 108 | 19.4% | 40.7% | 38.0% | 1.9% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied tuberculosis pulmonary chronic decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the tuberculosis pulmonary chronic issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 444 | 68.0% | 22.3% | +45.7 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 299 | 63.4% | 25.6% | +37.8 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 209 | 58.8% | 28.2% | +30.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,045 | 42.0% | 24.4% | +17.6 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 319 | 33.3% | 30.8% | +2.5 pts |
| Combat service | 143 | 32.9% | 30.8% | +2.1 pts |
| Lay statement | 2,578 | 26.7% | 50.9% | −24.2 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 70.9% of the decisions that granted tuberculosis pulmonary chronic.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 30.6% of grants and 11.6% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often tuberculosis pulmonary chronic was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 1,535 | 26.3% | 35.7% | −9.4 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 2,339 | 26.4% | 47.3% | −20.9 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied tuberculosis pulmonary chronic
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established66
- Presumptive service connection for lung cancer due to herbicide exposure6
- Presumption of soundness not rebutted4
- Service connection established4
- Pact act presumptive service connection3
- Lung cancer is presumptively linked to herbicide exposure3
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis197
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim130
- Service records negative or silent92
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service78
- Current diagnosis established61
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis58
- No nexus to service established9
- Criteria for service connection not met9
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent tuberculosis pulmonary chronic decisions
Granted
Favorable finding of current diagnosis is binding; Credible statements regarding chemical exposure consistent with MOS; Persuasive private medical opinion linking condition to exposures; Inadequate VA medical opinion; Evidence in approximate equipoise, resolved in Veteran's favor
Veteran served in the Army from December 1968 to September 1970.; Veteran has a current diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis.; Veteran contends condition is due to herbicide exposure during service.; VA examination opined less likely than not caused by herbicide exposure.; Private physician opined more than likely a direct result of herbicide exposure.; Board found private opinion adequate and probative.; Evidence in relative equipoise regarding nexus to herbicide exposure.; Benefit of the doubt applied to grant service connection.
Private medical records noted lung scarring from in-service pneumonia; Veteran's testimony of in-service pneumonia and treatment; Private medical opinion linked residuals to service
Denied
No competent medical evidence of pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis; Objective medical evidence (HRCT, pulmonologist assessment) did not support diagnosis; Veteran's lay assertions of diagnosis were not probative without medical expertise
Pre-June 3, 2025 evidence did not meet criteria for >10% rating.; Post-June 3, 2025 evidence weighed against >60% rating.; VA PFT results (post-bronchodilator FVC 57%, FEV-1 66%) support 60% rating.; Private opinions lacked probative value due to speculation and ignoring risk factors.
No current diagnosis of chronic bronchitis; VA examiner diagnosed multiple lung nodules; VA treatment records lack diagnosis
Rules that apply to tuberculosis pulmonary chronic claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your tuberculosis pulmonary chronic case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a tuberculosis pulmonary chronic issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.