The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a disease or injury in service that caused his current disabilities. The claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability resulting from VA treatment for COPD was also denied due to the lack of evidence showing carelessness, negligence, or similar instance of fault on VA's part.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by independent experts and VA examiners did not support a finding that any additional disability resulted from VA treatment or misdiagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2016
- Citation
- 1632593
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 1632593.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- 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.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
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