The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a special home adaptation grant due to COPD, as it did not meet the criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 3.809a.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record does not support that the Veteran experienced an inhalation injury caused by breathing steam, toxic fumes, gases, or mist present in a fire environment, which is required for eligibility under the regulation.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25031302
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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