The Board denied service connection for bronchitis, asthma, and COPD due to lack of a causal link between the current disability and active military service. The Veteran's hammertoe disabilities were also denied as there was no evidence of claw foot or hammertoe across all toes on either foot.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no causal relationship between the Veteran’s current respiratory disorder (COPD, asthma) and his active military service due to a lack of pertinent symptoms during service. The Board also determined that there was not enough evidence to support a compensable rating for hammertoe as the Veteran did not have claw foot or hammertoe across all toes on either foot.
- Claimed conditions
- bronchitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hammertoe, left foot, hammertoe, right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144245
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 18144245.
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
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- Dismissed
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- Denied
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- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma but denied it for hypertension.
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