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
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