The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and a compensable rating for his left wrist fracture, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran’s COPD or left wrist fracture were related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), Left Wrist Fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20053646
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 20053646.
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 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial compensable evaluation of service-connected COPD to ensure a proper medical examination is conducted.
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.