Loading condition outcomes…
Loading condition outcomes…
Asbestosis is scarring of the lungs caused by breathing in asbestos fibers — an exposure many veterans had aboard ships and in older buildings. Symptoms often appear decades later.
VA rating schedule, diagnostic code 6833
Asbestosis is a scarring (interstitial) lung disease caused by breathing in asbestos fibers, often years before symptoms appear. Many veterans were around asbestos in service — for example aboard ships and in engine and boiler rooms, or doing insulation, construction, demolition, or pipe and shipyard work, where asbestos was used in older buildings and equipment.
There is no automatic, or "presumptive," rule that says a veteran was exposed just because of where they served, including shipboard service. Instead, the VA looks at your records — such as your military job and where you were stationed — to decide how likely it is that you were exposed during service, then weighs whether your asbestosis is connected to that exposure (the VA's M21-1 manual guides this case-by-case review). To be service-connected you generally need a current diagnosis, evidence of in-service exposure, and a link between the two; exposure by itself is not a ratable condition.
Once asbestosis is service-connected, the VA rates it under 38 CFR § 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6833, using the General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease. That formula sets ratings of 10, 30, 60, or 100 percent based mainly on breathing-test (pulmonary function test) results — your FVC and DLCO percentages — or your maximum exercise capacity, with a 100 percent rating also possible if you have cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension, or need outpatient oxygen therapy.
This is general educational information about how the VA's rules work — not legal advice, not a VA decision, and not a prediction about any individual claim. Outcomes depend on your own facts and evidence; a denial can be appealed.
Grounded in federal regulations and VA guidance, independently reviewed June 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a VA determination.
Across 5,203 real Board appeals for Asbestosis
A denial is often not the end either — remands (shown below) are sent back for more development and can still end in a grant. These are historical outcomes, not a prediction of your case.
Appeals with representation succeed more often. Find free (VSO) or accredited help →
Among the appeals that were granted or partly granted, the most common ways Asbestosis was linked to service:
In appeals where Asbestosis was the only condition decided and the Board granted it, the rating most often assigned was:
These appeals involved a recognized exposure — which can mean the link to service is presumed, with no nexus to prove:
The Veteran's asbestosis disability is rated at 100% from December 2, 2024 to January 16, 2026. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is dismissed as moot.
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance from another person, warranting special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance.
The Veteran's asbestosis was granted an increased rating of 10 percent, but no higher. Service connection for sleep apnea was denied.
The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder, including interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, and pulmonary asbestosis, due to in-service asbestos exposure.
The Veteran's asbestos-related lung disease, including a right lower lobe pulmonary nodule, is found to be at least as likely as not the result of service. Service connection for this condition is granted.
Service connection is granted for tinnitus. The Veteran's current tinnitus is related to service.,Service connection is denied for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), urinary frequency, insomnia, and lung condition due to asbestos exposure. There is no persuasive evidence of a current disability or relationship to service.
Jump to the decisions from a specific year.
New decisions are added every week, and older years are actively being backfilled — a year that looks thin or missing here (especially 2011–2017) is a gap in our library, not in the Board’s decisions.
Veterans appealing Asbestosis often look at outcomes for these too:
We’ll send the free starter guide now, then a note when notable new Asbestosis Board decisions are added. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
We will only use this to send the guide and occasional updates for this condition. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.