BVA decisions by condition
Chronic bronchitis: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a chronic bronchitis issue in 1,509 decisions. It granted the chronic bronchitis issue in 13.2% of them, below the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 33.0%, and remanded it in 52.8%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 28.6% were granted.
Decisions
1,509
2018–2026
Granted
13.2%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
28.6%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
52.8%
Denied: 33.0%
Chronic bronchitis outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 160 | 5.0% | 36.3% | 55.6% |
| 2019 | 166 | 6.6% | 30.1% | 62.7% |
| 2020 | 141 | 8.5% | 31.9% | 58.2% |
| 2021 | 145 | 16.6% | 27.6% | 54.5% |
| 2022 | 156 | 14.1% | 36.5% | 47.4% |
| 2023 | 180 | 16.1% | 27.8% | 57.8% |
| 2024 | 194 | 14.9% | 24.7% | 58.8% |
| 2025 | 278 | 16.5% | 42.1% | 40.6% |
| 2026 | 89 | 20.2% | 37.1% | 41.6% |
Evidence in granted and denied chronic bronchitis decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the chronic bronchitis 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 | 224 | 55.7% | 21.2% | +34.5 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 189 | 55.6% | 22.6% | +33.0 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 57 | 50.0% | 27.7% | +22.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 390 | 41.6% | 23.7% | +17.9 pts |
| Combat service | 76 | 42.9% | 27.6% | +15.2 pts |
| Buddy statement | 42 | 38.1% | 28.3% | +9.8 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 150 | 30.0% | 28.4% | +1.6 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,173 | 27.5% | 33.1% | −5.6 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 73.4% of the decisions that granted chronic bronchitis.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 29.6% of grants and 13.3% 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 chronic bronchitis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,109 | 28.9% | 27.0% | +1.9 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 778 | 28.0% | 29.3% | −1.3 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied chronic bronchitis
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established28
- Pact act presumptive service connection4
- Diagnosis of chronic bronchitis3
- Conceded exposure to burn pits2
- Meets criteria for 30% rating under DC 66022
- Meets criteria for 30 percent rating under DC 66002
- Veteran served in southwest asia2
- Pact act presumptive service connection for chronic bronchitis2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis127
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim52
- Current diagnosis established33
- Service records negative or silent31
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service28
- Criteria for service connection not met18
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis14
- Evidence weighs against claim8
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 chronic bronchitis decisions
Granted
Aggravated by service; Presumptive under PACT Act; Benefit of the doubt applied
Allergic rhinitis found to be service-connected.; Positive nexus opinion from private medical professional.; No probative opinion to refute findings.
Private clinician found chronic bronchitis related to service and toxic exposures.; VA examiner found chronic bronchitis and chronic airway obstruction but no relationship to TERA.; Board found private opinion more persuasive due to detailed rationale and medical citations.
Denied
December 2024 VA respiratory examination noted symptoms; Pulmonary function test results did not meet criteria for compensable rating; Evidence persuasively weighs against compensable rating
No current diagnosis of bronchitis; Criteria for service connection not met
No current diagnosis of chronic bronchitis; Service treatment records silent for complaints/treatment/diagnoses; Post-service treatment records silent for chronic bronchitis; VA examiner found no objective medical evidence for chronic bronchitis; Examiner attributed respiratory complaints to various potential causes other than service
Rules that apply to chronic bronchitis 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 chronic bronchitis 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 chronic bronchitis 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 (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.