The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for respiratory disabilities is denied. The Board found that there was no unadjudicated formal or informal claim prior to June 14, 2002.
The deciding factor: There was no document during the relevant period indicating an intent to apply for benefits related to a respiratory disability.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20072336
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20072336.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disabilities, including COPD and emphysema. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new VA medical opinions that consider all relevant exposure events during service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's TDIU and SMC based on housebound status are granted due to his service-connected disabilities, including diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, PTSD, and other conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for respiratory disorders, to include COPD and asthma, as well as obstructive sleep apnea. The case is remanded for further development regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's current respiratory disorders, including emphysema, pulmonary thromboembolism, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and COPD, are at least as likely as not related to the diagnosed thrombophlebitis and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) during service. As a result, the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.
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