The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a pulmonary disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between the condition and his military service. The Board noted that the Veteran did not have any in-service complaints or findings related to a lung issue, and that he was diagnosed with pulmonary granulomas 13 years after separation from service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence showed no causal link between the Veteran's current pulmonary disability and his military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2021
- Citation
- 21004313
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 21004313.
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: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's pulmonary disability, including asthma and COPD, is causally related to his toxic exposure risk activity during service. The decision grants service connection for these conditions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for prostatitis, HIV, CHF, GERD, herpes, a pulmonary disability, headaches, and type 2 diabetes mellitus as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability or a nexus to service or a service-connected disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The case is remanded to determine whether special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1114(s) and 38 CFR 3.350(i) was in effect from July 19, 2023, to May 31, 2024.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining medical opinions to address the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions and their relationship to service-connected disabilities.
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