The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current condition and his military service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish secondary service connection based on PTSD or ischemic heart disease.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examiner concluded that COPD was not related to the Veteran's active duty service, Ground Zero exposure, or any other in-service events or conditions, including PTSD and ischemic heart disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20072692
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.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 100 percent disability rating for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) but denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection.
- Denied
The Board has dismissed the appeal for COPD and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus. The remaining issues have been remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted a maximum 100 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected COPD and denied an earlier effective date. The Veteran was found to have episodes of acute respiratory failure, which meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6604.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.