The Board found that the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death was not well-grounded due to a lack of medical evidence linking the veteran's emphysema, caused by smoking, to his time in service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing that the veteran incurred nicotine addiction during service or that it contributed to his development of emphysema.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of concussion of the right eye, Emphysema
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2000
- Citation
- 0001910
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 0001910.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, ischemic heart disease (IHD), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent placement as secondary to IHD, hypertensive heart disease, and emphysema. The COPD claim was denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for COPD and emphysema as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for mantle cell lymphoma, emphysema, diabetes mellitus, Type II, bilateral foot neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and antisocial personality disorder.
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