The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, finding that it was not related to his military service and instead attributed to his long history of smoking.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was caused by his tobacco use, which is prohibited from being considered as a result of service under VA law for claims filed after June 10, 1998.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2002
- Citation
- 0202407
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 0202407.
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.
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The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric condition.
- Partly granted
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- Granted
The Board granted an increased (Level 2) stipend in the PCAFC for the Veteran's caregiver due to the need for continuous supervision and protection based on the Veteran's medical conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues for further development and readjudication by the AOJ.
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