The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, avascular necrosis of the left hip, and avascular necrosis of the right hip as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The VA examiners found no causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's service or service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners determined that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's COPD, avascular necrosis of the left hip, or avascular necrosis of the right hip were caused by his service or service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, avascular necrosis, left hip (claimed as bilateral avascular necrosis), avascular necrosis, right hip (claimed as bilateral avascular necrosis)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21041573
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 21041573.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disability and active duty service. The VA examiner concluded that the COPD was more likely due to tobacco use rather than asbestos exposure in service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. COPD is considered a disease associated with such exposure.
- Granted
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for COPD. The Veteran's COPD is presumed due to exposure to herbicides, but the evidence does not support a finding that it began during active service or is related to in-service exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lung condition, including pneumonia residuals, COPD, and emphysema, is remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his military service. The appeal is reopened based on new evidence.
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