The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, sleep apnea, and loss of smell due to in-service secondhand smoke exposure. The Board found that there is no evidence of chronic conditions related to these disorders during or within one year after service.
The deciding factor: The VA opinions provided conflicting conclusions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his in-service secondhand smoke exposure, with some suggesting a link while others did not. The VHA opinion was found to be more credible due to its detailed rationale based on medical literature and the Veteran's service records.
- Claimed conditions
- sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, sleep apnea, loss of the sense of smell
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2018
- Citation
- 1818787
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 1818787.
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
- Whole decision: 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.
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