The Board found no direct service connection for the Veteran's pulmonary disease and concluded that it was not incurred or aggravated by his active military service. The cause of death due to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure, was also denied.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence linking the Veteran’s pulmonary disability to his active service and the medical opinions do not establish a connection between the Veteran's Agent Orange exposure and his fatal condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2011
- Citation
- 1116689
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 1116689.
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.
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- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found no link between the Veteran's in-service spontaneous pneumothorax and his current diagnoses of COPD with emphysema and asthma, thus denying service connection for a pulmonary condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the appellant's service as a Recognized Guerilla is not qualifying service for VA nonservice-connected pension benefits, and thus the claim must be denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to military service or a service-connected disability.
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