Asbestosis decisions — 2015

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis and entitlement to a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his asbestosis is not etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asbestosis was denied because there is no current evidence of the claimed disability, and his assertions are not supported by medical records or competent evidence.

The Veteran's asbestosis was evaluated, and his pulmonary function tests showed DLCO values generally no less than 84 percent of predicted value. The Board found that the criteria for an initial compensable disability rating for asbestosis have not been met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, head injury residuals, type II diabetes mellitus, and tinnitus have been denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other conditions that would support presumptive service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected asbestos-related lung disease (asbestosis) was a contributory cause of his death, granting DIC benefits and service-connected burial benefits.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and asbestosis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service or asbestos exposure.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic respiratory lung disorder or asbestosis in service, and the current conditions are not related to military service. The Veteran's claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's current diagnoses of asbestosis and chronic bronchitis are found to be related to his in-service asbestos exposure, resulting in a grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed COPD and asbestosis are related to his active military service, based on in-service asbestos exposure. The Veteran was exposed to asbestos during his duties as an airborne radio operator.

The case is being remanded due to the Veteran's missed hearing date and unclear notification of his scheduled hearing. The claims file will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asthma and asbestos-related pleural plaques, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his employment history and VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for neck injury with scar, low back disability, and bilateral shoulder disability. The respiratory condition claim is pending as the VA has not yet provided an opinion regarding its relationship to service.

The Veteran's asbestosis is not productive of specific criteria for a higher rating, and his COPD is considered in determining the severity. The Board finds that the symptoms are more closely related to his nonservice-connected COPD.

The Veteran's right carpal navicular fracture residuals with degenerative joint disease were initially manifested during active service and are presumed to have been incurred therein.,The Veteran was exposed to asbestos aboard naval vessels and in shipyards during active service, which is considered a recognized exposure basis for asbestosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons and bases in its previous decision, requiring a TDIU opinion from a vocational expert.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and for an SOC on the issue of entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining new VA examinations and opinions for his hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and asbestosis.

The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to asbestos during service but does not have an asbestos-related disease, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lung disorders, including whether in-service asbestos exposure contributed to his current conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at the highest possible disability rating of 100 percent, effective June 8, 2010. The claim for higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities of the knees and shoulders, as well as his asbestosis, are denied.