The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and emphysema, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his service or to his service-connected tuberculosis.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's COPD/emphysema are due to his long smoking history and not related to his service or service-connected tuberculosis. The private medical opinions were also deemed flawed within the regulatory framework.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Emphysema
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2024
- Citation
- A24068204
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for COPD as secondary to diabetes and denied increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy conditions, while dismissing claims related to upper extremity neuropathy.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) as he does not meet the criteria for an increased rate based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 60 percent rating for COPD, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
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