Pyramidding

[admiral7]

would these two diseases,pulmonary fibrosis and asbestosis, be considered pyramiding since they are both of the same organs.What happens if a sailor dies from one or the other will his wife still be paid DIC.Not sure how this works,should HE JUST ADD THEM BOTH TO CLAIM TO BE SURE.

[jbasser]

Lung condition to include asbestos and Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Pyramiding only works for payment purposes.

You can be service connected for more than one lung issue but only paid for the most severe.

J

[admiral7]

Thank you J

[Teac]

Technically you can only be rated for one lung disease.. The VA just includes the name of the second or third disease as part of the first disease.

As JBasser said you only get compensation for the disease that causes the most problems

For example, I was rated for asthma from 1986 to 2005... for 60%

Then the VA gave me an illegal rating of 30% for COPD secondary to the Asthma

I filed a cue, and the VA then rated me for Asthma/COPD 100% ( see how the two diseases are tied together for rating purposes as if one disease)

In my case I received 100% because of home oxygen therapy....but it could have received a 60% rating based on the asthma only, if I had not been on oxygen.

For the record I was diagnosed with COPD in 1986 when I went through disability retirement from the Army so the cue actually went back to 1986.

Now to be sure someone can be rated secondary to something and receive a separate award if the secondary condition is not affecting the same body parts.

For example... I had a cataract secondary to steroid use due to my lung disease, I had surgery to remove the cataract and was left almost blind in the left eye.. I was awarded 30% for the cataract secondary to the steroid use because of my lung disease. I did not get any awards due to the blindness ( that is on appeal).

There is one exception to the Pyramiding rule:

You can have two separate rating for a knee injury . In my case I have two separate 10% ratings, one for limitation of movement, and one for lateral instability (arthritis) Why the VA allows this I really don't understand , but it is the only exception.