The Board denied service connection for the claimed residuals of pneumonia, including asthma, COPD, and emphysema, as there was no evidence that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no probative value in the private physician's opinion due to factual inaccuracies and lack of review of medical records. The VA examiners concluded that the Veteran’s current respiratory conditions are more likely caused by his history of smoking rather than any incident during service, including treatment for atypical pneumonia.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19196331
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 19196331.
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.
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The appeal was denied for service connection of the residuals of pneumonia, but reopened and remanded for further development regarding allergic rhinitis.
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- Granted
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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