The Veteran's increased ratings for COPD, laryngitis, actinic keratosis, and squamous cell carcinoma have been denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show that the Veteran met the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 6602 or 6604 for COPD since July 22, 2009. The preponderance of the evidence supported the current ratings assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), Bronchial Asthma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- July 23, 2010
- Citation
- 1027560
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 1027560.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma is found to have aggravated his pre-existing cardiovascular condition, contributing substantially and materially to his cause of death.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be due to COPD, but the Board found no evidence linking this condition to his service or exposure to herbicide agents. As such, service connection for the cause of death is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD with OSA has been granted an initial rating of 60 percent effective May 1, 2019. The claim for separate ratings is denied.
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