The Board denied service connection for residuals of a therapeutic abortion and a respiratory disorder, claimed as emphysema and COPD, due to lack of evidence supporting the claims.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the veteran had full body exposure to mustard gas or that her respiratory conditions were related to in-service events. Additionally, there was no evidence linking her current respiratory issues to service-connected disabilities or a long history of smoking.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a therapeutic abortion, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2008
- Citation
- 0813186
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0813186.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional records from the Social Security Administration.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to noise exposure in service. Service connection for emphysema and COPD is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for right and left knee replacements, as well as emphysema and COPD. The Veteran's statements indicate she experienced injuries during service that led to her current conditions.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of service connection for macular degeneration and a rating greater than 60 percent for emphysema and COPD was withdrawn at the October 2015 hearing.
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