The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung cancer, emphysema, COPD, and residuals of right lung lobectomy due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's long history of smoking is considered more likely the cause of her respiratory disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no direct evidence linking the Veteran's respiratory disabilities to service, with the exception of a finding of squamous metaplasia inflammation in 1979. The Veteran's extensive smoking history post-service is deemed more significant than any potential exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- lung cancer, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), residuals of right lung lobectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2022
- Citation
- 22014966
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 22014966.
What this means for you
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- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Dismissed
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- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
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