The Board denied service connection for lung disease, which was diagnosed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and found to be unrelated to the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence showed that the Veteran's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was not manifest in service and is unrelated to his service due to tobacco smoke being the primary cause of the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- lung disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2024
- Citation
- A24070789
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lung disease, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran due to his conceded toxic exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the veteran's claims for an increased disability rating for asthma and entitlement to TDIU. The Board will consider additional evidence submitted by the Veteran or representative at the hearing or within 90 days following the hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claims for service connection for bladder cancer and lung disease to correct errors in assessing toxic exposures during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for lung disease, to include as due to asbestos exposure, for further development and a new VA examination.
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