The Board finds that the Veteran's COPD with bronchiectasis was not incurred in or aggravated by his active military service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinions provided conflicting conclusions regarding a causal relationship between the Veteran's COPD and military service. The VA primary care physician initially opined that COPD with bronchiectasis was 'secondary' to pneumonia during Basic Training, while the August 2009 VA examiner found no causal connection due to resolution of pneumonia.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD with bronchiectasis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2010
- Citation
- 1040816
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1040816.
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 Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating of 100 percent for COPD with bronchiectasis, so no higher initial rating can be granted.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for COPD with bronchiectasis was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the pendency of the appeal.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated pulmonary function test results and medical records.
- 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.
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