The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory conditions, including COPD and asthma, were not incurred or aggravated in service. The VA examiner concluded there was no evidence to support a connection between his current respiratory disorders and his period of active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's STRs showed only one instance of treatment for bronchitis while in service, which resolved without sequelae, and found no indication of ongoing or related respiratory conditions post-service. The examiner also noted the Veteran's long history of smoking as a significant factor in his current respiratory problems.
- Claimed conditions
- asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2013
- Citation
- 1331766
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 1331766.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases of sleep apnea and asthma due to a failure to provide proper notice for a hearing.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to August 14, 2023.
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