The Board denied service connection for COPD and OSA, finding that the Veteran's current respiratory disorders are not related to his military service.,The Board also denied compensation benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for renal failure due to a lack of VA care during gallbladder surgery.
The deciding factor: Service connection was denied because the evidence did not show that the Veteran's COPD and OSA were related to his military service, despite claims of herbicide exposure. The Board found no evidence of asbestos or chemical exposure in service.,The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 failed as there was no showing that VA should have diagnosed the Veteran's preexisting condition and rendered treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory Disorder, Renal Failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18119302
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18119302.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied initial ratings in excess of the assigned percentages for OSA, hypertension, allergic rhinitis, and irritable colon syndrome. Service connection was also denied for chronic fatigue syndrome and a respiratory disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied an evaluation higher than 50 percent for PTSD and remanded the claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) was granted. The claims for respiratory disorder and an earlier effective date for allergic rhinitis were remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, specifically his medication for treatment of PTSD, is found to have contributed materially to his death. The Board concludes the evidence is in approximate balance with respect to whether the PTSD medication caused his death.
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