The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for breathing problems due to an upper respiratory condition, as well as a claim for an increased rating for residuals of shrapnel wound of the right upper chest with retained foreign body and scars on lung. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current pulmonary/respiratory disability to his military service or to his service-connected shrapnel wound.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not indicate a connection between the veteran's current respiratory condition and his military service, including any potential secondary effect of his service-connected shrapnel wound.
- Claimed conditions
- Breathing problems, Upper respiratory condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2006
- Citation
- 0612360
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 0612360.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for breathing problems and low platelet count due to potential asbestos exposure during service aboard USS MIDWAY in Vietnam, as well as possible herbicide exposure. Additional development is needed including verification of service in official waters and VA treatment records.
- Denied
The veteran's claimed disabilities, including fatigue, memory loss, breathing problems, joint pain, and skin rash, were not present during his active military service or are not related to such service. The Board denied the claims for these conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
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