The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for COPD/emphysema, finding no evidence of a causal link between his current condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence suggesting a causal nexus between COPD/emphysema and any period of service.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD/emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2004
- Citation
- 0425481
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0425481.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The 100 percent rating for lung cancer was discontinued effective November 1, 2024, as the Veteran's lung cancer is in remission and no longer active. The claim for a compensable disability rating for lung cancer residuals has been remanded.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as a suicide attempt), and left shoulder disability. The claim for COPD/emphysema was remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD/emphysema, finding that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the claim. The Board also found a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim based on exposure to smoke during a fire aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in December 1967.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities (TDIU) is granted effective April 26, 2000. The Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD/emphysema, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and carotid artery disease are denied.
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