The Veteran's claims for service connection for emphysema and tinnitus were denied. The claim for emphysema is denied due to lack of evidence linking the current disability to service. The claim for tinnitus remains pending as further examination and medical opinion are needed.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence or opinion indicating a medical nexus between the Veteran's current pulmonary/respiratory disability (emphysema) and service, despite his assertions of in-service noise exposure. For the tinnitus claim, additional VA examination and medical opinion are required to determine if there exists a relationship with service.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary/respiratory disability, claimed as emphysema, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 19, 2009
- Citation
- 0923215
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 0923215.
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 claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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