The Veteran's respiratory disorder (COPD) is not service-connected. The Veteran's left varicocele and prostatitis have been rated at 10 percent since March 2006, but the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current respiratory disorder to his military service, and the preponderance of the evidence shows that it was first manifested many years after service. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's emphysema was more likely due to smoking than exposure in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory Disorder (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- June 9, 2014
- Citation
- 1426066
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 1426066.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, respiratory disorder, and sleep apnea due to pre-decisional errors in verifying all periods of service and failing to obtain necessary examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases of hypertension, respiratory disorder (COPD), and obstructive sleep apnea for further development to obtain medical opinions addressing their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a respiratory disorder (COPD) and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,Service connection is sought for a respiratory disorder, including as due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran's service records show he had upper respiratory infections in 1970 and 1972, which may be related to his current COPD diagnosis.,The Veteran seeks service connection for GERD, claiming it developed from his service-connected disabilities or due to herbicide agent exposure. A VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of his gastrointestinal disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a respiratory disorder, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link between his current COPD and his military service.
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