The VA determined that the veteran's pleural disease, claimed as due to asbestos exposure, was not incurred in or aggravated by his active military service.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a chronic condition shown during service and the weight of the competent evidence does not demonstrate current pleural disease related to asbestos exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- pleural disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0306661
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0306661.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary disorder, diagnosed as interstitial fibrosis, pleural disease, and asbestosis. The evidence supports that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's pleural disease and COPD are granted as service-connected due to in-service asbestos exposure. The hypertension claim is remanded for a TERA examination, and the TDIU issue is also remanded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos during service and the relationship between his pleural disease and military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of asbestos exposure during the Veteran's service. The AOJ is required to verify any potential exposure and provide a summary or memorandum based on verified information from official sources.
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