The Veteran's pulmonary embolism is not service-connected as a result of exposure to environmental hazards in the Gulf War or due to an undiagnosed illness. The VA examiner concluded that there was no clear and specific link between the Veteran's current lung/pulmonary/respiratory disorder and his active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found insufficient evidence linking the pulmonary embolism to environmental exposures in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War or to an undiagnosed illness associated with his Gulf War service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary embolism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 13, 2018
- Citation
- 1809092
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 1809092.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in duty to assist, specifically regarding toxic exposure exposures during service and their impact on the Veteran's cause of death.
- Denied
The Veteran's right lower extremity varicose veins, post-phlebitic syndrome, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating due to lack of persistent edema or stasis pigmentation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding VA's obligation to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration.
- Denied
The Board denied the restoration of a separate 50 percent rating for sleep apnea due to clear and unmistakable error in the May 2008 rating decision.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.