The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for heart and lung disorders due to tobacco use, finding that such claims are barred by law as they were received after June 9, 1998. The Board also noted that there was no evidence linking the disabilities to service on any basis other than tobacco use.
The deciding factor: The veteran's claim for service connection based on tobacco use during service is barred by law due to its receipt after June 9, 1998. Service connection is not granted as the heart and lung disorders were neither incurred in nor aggravated by service, and there was no evidence linking them to any other basis.
- Claimed conditions
- heart and lung disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 29, 2001
- Citation
- 0117448
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 0117448.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was listed as adenocarcinoma of the colon. The VA medical opinion found that his service-connected disabilities did not cause or substantially contribute to his death, and that his colon cancer was not related to military service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for heart and lung disorders claimed as due to tobacco use, finding that the disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service.
- 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.
- 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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.