The Board has determined that the veteran's cause of death, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), was caused by his service-connected exposure to chemicals in the course of his duties as a waste management specialist. The Board found sufficient evidence linking the veteran's COPD to his military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence established that the veteran's COPD, which he developed during service and continued after discharge, was likely caused by his occupational chemical exposure and heavy tobacco use.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Prostate Cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2004
- Citation
- 0421586
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 0421586.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for COPD due to duty-to-assist errors and a need for a supplemental medical opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal to reduce the ratings for OSA and COPD with asthma and granuloma of the lung was denied, as well as his attempt to add a claim for service connection for aphasia secondary to TBI. The appeals were dismissed due to untimeliness.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension and prostate cancer residuals (voiding dysfunction) have been granted increased ratings of 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the rate of 50% for his service-connected conditions from April 20, 2020 to June 7, 2021.
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