The Board has determined that the veteran does not have tuberculosis and there is no evidence of active tuberculosis. The veteran's respiratory disorder, diagnosed as mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease secondary to smoking and tobacco abuse, was not incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of active tuberculosis during service or within one year post-service, and the veteran's current respiratory condition is attributed to his smoking and tobacco abuse rather than a service event.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disorder, pulmonary tuberculosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 25, 2002
- Citation
- 0217072
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 0217072.
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 the Veteran's cause of death, finding that his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis was at least as likely as not a contributory cause of his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea was dismissed due to untimely filing of the notice of disagreement. The appeals for a respiratory disorder and increased evaluation for low back disability were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension, as well as entitlement to a special monthly pension, due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
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