Asbestosis Board decisions

The Board has added entitlement to service connection for COPD as an issue on appeal. The Veteran's representative submitted a statement contending that asbestos exposure was related to both restrictive and obstructive lung function, causing functional impairment. Remand is required for new opinions addressing the conflicting evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for respiratory, right ankle, left ankle, and neck disorders due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Specifically, the VA examinations found no evidence of a current respiratory disorder related to in-service asbestos exposure. The right and left ankle disorders were not found to be directly related to service or aggravated by service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from January 9, 2014. The Board also remanded the issue of whether a TDIU was warranted prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's pulmonary disability, specifically whether it is related to service or asbestos exposure. An addendum opinion from a VA examiner is needed to address these issues.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for gastrointestinal, asbestosis, and respiratory disorders due to incomplete medical records. The Veteran is asked to provide private medical records from his gastroenterologist Dr. R.N., pulmonologist Dr. J.C., and any other relevant providers.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of asbestosis due to the x-rays showing he was healed, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to conflicting opinions on whether the Veteran's respiratory and hearing disabilities prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation. The case is being referred for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate medical opinions provided in previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development regarding potential asbestos exposure during service and a retrospective opinion on MET scores attributed to service-connected mitral and/or tricuspid insufficiency.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for hearing loss has been remanded due to the need for a new VA examination. The issue of service connection for a respiratory condition, including asbestosis and asthma, is also remanded.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary asbestosis (also claimed as a pulmonary disability) because it was previously adjudicated and no further issues remain.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine condition, bilateral knee conditions, stomach condition to include GERD, hypertension, COPD to include as due to asbestos exposure, and sleep apnea. The claims are being remanded for additional development including obtaining medical opinions on the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's interstitial lung disease, asbestosis is rated at a 10 percent disability rating prior to February 9, 2022. A higher rating of more than 10 percent is denied since that date.

The Board has granted service connection for asbestosis, but denied service connection for COPD. The decision is based on the evidence showing in-service asbestos exposure and current asbestosis, while finding no direct link between COPD and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and asbestosis. Service connection is granted for tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure, but not for bilateral hearing loss or asbestosis.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the Veteran's unverified Coast Guard service. The claims for sleep apnea, headaches, skin disorder, colon disorder, and asbestosis are being reviewed again. The tinnitus and gastrointestinal disorder reopening claims are also being reviewed.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability and a skin disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's asbestosis is rated at 60 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms are primarily due to his nonservice-connected COPD and not his service-connected asbestosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, hearing loss, tinnitus, a lung condition due to asbestos exposure, and non-prostrating posttraumatic headaches. The cases are being remanded because the examinations conducted were not by specialists in psychiatry, neurology, or neurosurgery as required by VA policy for TBI claims.

The Veteran's asbestosis with asthma disability is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting a comprehensive VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.