The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and COPD, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.,The Board noted that while the Veteran reported exposure to noise during service, this did not result in a current hearing loss disability. For COPD, the Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between the condition and service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is not related to his military service due to lack of documentation of a pre-service or in-service hearing loss disability. For COPD, the Board found insufficient evidence linking the current condition to service exposure.,Both conditions were deemed unrelated to service based on the absence of documented onset during service and lack of medical opinion establishing a link between service and the current disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- right ear hearing loss disability, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18149449
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 18149449.
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).
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