Asbestosis decisions — 2017

The Veteran's death was caused by lung cancer, which the Board found to be related to his service-connected asbestosis. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected lung disability and provide post-bronchodilator results for FVC and DLCO (SB) tests.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his claimed respiratory disability and residuals of laryngectomy, status post laryngeal cancer. The case will be further developed to determine if these conditions are related to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of asbestosis, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination. The issues include service connection for respiratory disorders, PTSD with depressive disorder, and hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for asbestos related pleural disease is being remanded due to the need for updated VA/TRICARE treatment records and a VA examination.