The Board denied service connection for emphysema and remanded the claim for a respiratory disability, due to insufficient evidence of a current diagnosis of emphysema and lack of credible lay statements supporting the presence of such condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran had emphysema at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim, and there was no credible medical evidence establishing a link between in-service exposure and current respiratory symptoms other than bronchitis.
- Claimed conditions
- emphysema, shortness of breath, lung condition, bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25043308
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25043308.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lung condition and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded for additional development to determine if they are related to service, specifically his in-service pneumonia. The claims will also be reviewed for secondary service connection due to the Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, emphysema, and prostate cancer as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
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