The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary disability, to include as due to Agent Orange exposure. The June 2016 VHA opinion supports this reopening and indicates that the Veteran's current pulmonary disabilities are related to his period of active duty, including his exposure to Agent Orange during service.
The deciding factor: The June 2016 VHA opinion provided a medical nexus linking the Veteran's current pulmonary disabilities to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), inactive pulmonary tuberculosis with pulmonary nodules
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 5, 2016
- Citation
- 1626643
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 1626643.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is granted with an effective date of July 25, 2023.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is dismissed as it does not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lung condition, including pneumonia residuals, COPD, and emphysema, is remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his military service. The appeal is reopened based on new evidence.
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