The Board finds that the veteran's nicotine dependence, which began during his service, caused him to smoke cigarettes and develop COPD. This COPD was an immediate cause of death in October 1997. Therefore, service connection for the cause of death is granted.
The deciding factor: Nicotine dependence developed during service and caused the veteran to smoke cigarettes, leading to COPD which was a direct cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, cirrhosis of the liver
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2001
- Citation
- 0118978
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 0118978.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's respiratory condition and his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a TDIU, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for various conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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