The Veteran's lung condition, including COPD, is not service connected as due to toxic herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a chronic respiratory disease noted during service and the VA examiner found it less likely than not that the current COPD is related to any exposure in the military or related to service in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2017
- Citation
- 1710441
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1710441.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and a need for further development. The issues include aortic aneurysm, cerebrovascular small vessel disease, COPD, and emphysema.
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