The Veteran's COPD is not considered service-connected because it was not shown to be related to his military service. The Board has found the VA examination report and opinion to be of great probative value.,The Veteran's hair loss is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure, but there is no evidence linking this condition to his military service. Therefore, the claim for hair loss will be remanded for further development.,Seborrheic keratosis is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure and the Board has found that it is not related to the Veteran's military service. The claim for seborrheic keratosis will also be remanded for further development.,Basal cell carcinoma is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure, but there is no evidence linking this condition to the Veteran's military service. Therefore, the claim for basal cell carcinoma will be remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The COPD was not shown to have been incurred or aggravated by service and the VA examiner found that it was more likely related to smoking rather than herbicide exposure.,There is no evidence linking hair loss to the Veteran's military service, despite the presumption of exposure. The claim will be remanded for further development.,Seborrheic keratosis is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure but there is no evidence linking it to the Veteran's military service. The claim will be remanded for further development.,Basal cell carcinoma is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure, but there is no evidence linking it to the Veteran's military service. The claim will be remanded for further development.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), Hair Loss, Seborrheic Keratosis, Basal Cell Carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20037412
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 20037412.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be due to COPD, but the Board found no evidence linking this condition to his service or exposure to herbicide agents. As such, service connection for the cause of death is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD with OSA has been granted an initial rating of 60 percent effective May 1, 2019. The claim for separate ratings is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for OSA and COPD on a secondary basis, as well as the initial rating for constipation. The issues of entitlement to SMC-HB and TDIU have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to perform daily activities of living without the assistance of another, and he is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.