The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, to include as due to herbicide exposure and/or smoking was denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence or aggravation of an injury or disease related to the claimed conditions. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated at 30 percent disabling throughout the appeal period. The Veteran is not entitled to TDIU benefits as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a current COPD disability or in-service incurrence of an injury related to the claimed conditions, and therefore, service connection was denied. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated at 30 percent disabling throughout the appeal period. The Board found that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), to include as due to herbicide exposure and/or smoking
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2012
- Citation
- 1201347
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 1201347.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Dismissed
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- Granted
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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