The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, respiratory disorder (including asthma, emphysema and COPD), skin disorder of the hands, and chronic dizziness and lack of balance. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service or exposure to chemicals.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinions determined that the Veteran's current conditions were more likely caused by over 20 years of smoking rather than his military service or chemical exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral eye disorder, respiratory disorder (including asthma, emphysema and COPD), skin disorder of the hands, chronic dizziness and lack of balance
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 18, 2017
- Citation
- 1727982
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 1727982.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claims for service connection must be remanded due to inadequate examinations and opinions. The Veteran's skin disorder, respiratory disorder, Crohn's disease, eye disorder, and migraines are all being reviewed again with new medical evaluations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for further development. The Veteran's pericardial cyst is being reviewed, as well as his bilateral eye disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral eye disorder, but denied service connection for his CAD and DM II. The bilateral eye disorder is related to exposure to ionizing radiation in service. However, there is no evidence linking CAD and DM II to service or to the Veteran's service-connected TBI.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral eye disorder, to include as a manifestation of an intracranial vessel disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not have its onset in service and was not due to any in-service event, injury, or disease.
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