The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including respiratory issues and cardiovascular conditions, as they were not related to the Veteran's active duty or a service-connected disability.,Specifically, the Board found that the Veteran did not have a current respiratory disability other than pleural plaques, which was already service connected. The COPD he claimed was determined to be unrelated to his in-service asbestos exposure and secondary to tobacco use.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's COPD is more likely caused by his own smoking habits rather than any in-service event or condition, including asbestos exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory Disability Other than Pleural Plaques, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Kidney Disability, Bilateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome, Psychiatric Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18103591
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 18103591.
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.
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The Veteran's TDIU and SMC for housebound status are granted based on service-connected PTSD from October 12, 2023, and CAD from October 1, 2022. The appeals were granted due to the severity of these conditions preventing the Veteran from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset and causation of the Veteran's OSA. The AOJ is required to obtain an addendum opinion from a qualified examiner to address these issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) is being remanded for a VA examination to determine its current severity and for the consideration of any outstanding private medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in duty to assist and insufficient opinions. The issues include OSA with obesity as an intermediate step, and a psychiatric disability related to migraine with vertigo.
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