The veteran's chronic lung disorder, diagnosed as pulmonary fibrosis, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not related to inservice exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: VA medical records show that the veteran had no recognized service-connected conditions prior to his 1990 coronary artery bypass surgery. The current lung disorder is attributed to postoperative complications, specifically ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome), and not related to inservice exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lung disorder, pulmonary fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2001
- Citation
- 0126677
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 0126677.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, finding it to be related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, finding no current diagnosis of the condition and that it was not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a lung disability, claimed as pulmonary fibrosis, for further development and evidence review.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a conclusion that his service-connected conditions prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
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.