The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability, including COPD and lung cancer.,Service connection was also denied for the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that the respiratory disability or the cause of death were related to service or any in-service injury, event, or disease. The Board found that the disabilities were more likely due to the Veteran’s long history of smoking.,Service connection was denied for the cause of death as there was no evidence showing that the disabilities caused by the Veteran's smoking contributed substantially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disability, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18102340
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 18102340.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of his service-connected chronic fatigue and weakness due to chemotherapy and radiation treatment for lung cancer is granted, with an evaluation of 60 percent.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residuals of lung cancer from May 1, 2005 is denied.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is granted with an effective date of July 25, 2023.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is dismissed as it does not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date.
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