The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of pneumothorax, and the Board finds that his obstructive lung disease is more likely related to smoking tobacco than to service. As such, the claim for service connection for a lung disorder (including obstructive lung disease and residuals of pneumothorax) is denied.
The deciding factor: The March 2017 VA examination report concluded that the Veteran's current obstructive lung disease is due to past history of smoking tobacco rather than any in-service pneumothorax, which is legally precluded given the prohibition on service connection for disability due to use of tobacco products during active service.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive lung disease, residuals of pneumothorax
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2017
- Citation
- 1742124
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 1742124.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 100 percent rating for obstructive lung disease and denied an earlier effective date, a compensable rating for rhinitis, and an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for rhinitis.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are granted effective January 1, 2015.,Prior to this date, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for these benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory disorder and exposure claims. The case will be returned for further development, including obtaining additional treatment records and requesting an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for obstructive lung disease has been withdrawn. The Board has also remanded the claims for increased ratings for migraines and TDIU due to headaches.
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