The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disorders, including COPD and bronchial asthma, were not incurred in or aggravated by service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: VA examiners concluded that the Veteran's current respiratory conditions are not related to his inservice tuberculosis or smoke exposure, and that they are more likely due to his history of smoking.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, bronchial asthma, chronic shortness of breath
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2012
- Citation
- 1212267
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 1212267.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma does not preclude him from maintaining substantial gainful employment.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disability and active duty service. The VA examiner concluded that the COPD was more likely due to tobacco use rather than asbestos exposure in service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. COPD is considered a disease associated with such exposure.
- Granted
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for COPD. The Veteran's COPD is presumed due to exposure to herbicides, but the evidence does not support a finding that it began during active service or is related to in-service exposure.
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