The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for bronchitis with emphysema, finding no new and material evidence.
The deciding factor: The medical records did not provide objective evidence linking the COPD to military service, and the veteran's previous claim was based on a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis that began during service. The current request does not constitute a new claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Bronchitis, Emphysema
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2001
- Citation
- 0101404
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 0101404.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was listed as emphysema, but the Board found no causal connection to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is etiologically related to service exposure to herbicide agents, and thus grants service connection for COPD.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial disability rating for bronchitis with asthma is granted at a 60 percent level through December 26, 2023. The rating of 10 percent between December 27, 2023 and November 11, 2025 is denied. A higher rating since November 12, 2025 is also denied.
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