The Board denied service connection for a respiratory condition, finding that the evidence does not support a nexus between the Veteran's COPD and his service, including exposure to asbestos while serving aboard the U.S.S. Constellation.
The deciding factor: The May 2019 VA examiner provided an opinion noting the Veteran’s thirty-year history of smoking two to three packs of cigarettes per day, which is considered a significant factor in determining the cause of COPD.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19184925
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 fibromyalgia, migraines, neuropsychological signs or symptoms, and a respiratory condition. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep disorder, lumbar spine disability, bilateral eye conditions, gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure, and left below knee amputation were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a right knee condition, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, low back condition with right side leg pain, left knee condition, hypertension, headaches, respiratory condition, and psychiatric disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and a respiratory condition for additional development, including obtaining the Veteran's Army Reserve service records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for neck cancer, infertility, and a respiratory condition but granted service connection for chronic sinusitis.
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