The Board found that the Veteran's emphysema/COPD did not have its inception during active duty and was more likely caused by his use of tobacco. As a result, service connection for emphysema/COPD is denied.
The deciding factor: The most probative evidence established that the Veteran's post-service emphysema/COPD was causally related to his tobacco use, while there was no evidence of herbicide exposure or other service-connected conditions contributing to the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- emphysema/COPD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2021
- Citation
- 21028339
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 21028339.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a grant of TDIU.
- Denied
The Veteran's need for aid and attendance was due to his non-service connected conditions (emphysema/COPD, age), not his service-connected gunshot wounds. Therefore, he did not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's current COPD and emphysema did not manifest during active service, and are not otherwise related to service or a service-connected disability. The weight of the evidence showed that his acquired psychiatric disorders manifested years after his active service and were not related to service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for emphysema/COPD, higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood, and a TDIU from May 12, 2008 to December 8, 2010.
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