The Veteran's cause of death, COPD, was not related to service or exposure to herbicides. The Board denied service connection for the cause of death and denied nonservice-connected burial benefits.
The deciding factor: COPD was not shown to be related to service or exposure to herbicides, and there is no evidence that it resulted from a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Prostate Cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159293
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 19159293.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for COPD as secondary to diabetes and denied increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy conditions, while dismissing claims related to upper extremity neuropathy.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of March 15, 2023, for a 40 percent evaluation for service-connected prostate cancer and earlier dates for the awards of service connection for anterior and posterior trunk scars.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) as he does not meet the criteria for an increased rate based on his service-connected disabilities.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.