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Denied

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for status post left thoracotomy for chronic left empyema cavity and pleural fibrosis, claimed due to asbestos exposure. The November 1996 RO decision remains final.

The deciding factor: The provided evidence is considered duplicative of previous statements and does not establish a new basis for reopening the claim.

Claimed conditions
status post left thoracotomy for chronic left empyema cavity and pleural fibrosis
How they argued it
Reopened with new and material evidence
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
November 7, 2000
Citation
0029378

This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0029378.

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