The Board found that the veteran's claims for nicotine addiction and a disability manifested by swelling in the throat, coughing, getting tired easily, and difficulty breathing were not well grounded. The evidence did not show these conditions were incurred or aggravated during service.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence showing nicotine addiction or any current disability of the claimed nature related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Nicotine addiction, Disability manifested by swelling in the throat, coughing, getting tired easily, and difficulty breathing
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2000
- Citation
- 0027797
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0027797.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, including evidence of severe headaches and dizziness related to sinusitis with headaches. The Veteran's attorney submitted medical records and lay statements supporting these claims.
- Whole decision: Denied
The veteran's claims for nicotine addiction, lung disability, and hypertensive vascular disease are all denied as they are not well grounded. The evidence does not support the presence of these conditions in service or their connection to service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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