The Board denied service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thyroid cancer, and diabetes mellitus type II as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service or any toxic exposures.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the Veteran's COPD was caused by his smoking history, while thyroid cancer and diabetes were not related to his toxic exposure risk activities due to outside risk factors outweighing the TERA factors.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), thyroid cancer, diabetes mellitus type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25046294
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for thyroid cancer, as it was not shown to be chronic in service and did not manifest within the applicable presumptive period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a respiratory disability to obtain an adequate VA examination and additional evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service.
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