The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD/bronchitis is due to half a century of smoking and not related to his military service. As such, service connection for COPD/bronchitis on the basis of tobacco use in service is denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the veteran's current pulmonary trouble was related to a very long history of smoking, which contradicts Dr. Grotheer's opinion that the Veteran's military occupational specialty contributed to his current pulmonary problems.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD/bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 4, 2009
- Citation
- 0916638
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 0916638.
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: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung disorders are not related to his in-service service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination to address the relationship between his service-connected conditions and asbestos exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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