The Board found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of asbestosis or asbestos disease, and concluded that his pulmonary disability is due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) secondary to cigarette smoking. As such, service connection for asbestosis was denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not find evidence consistent with asbestosis, and the veteran's current diagnosis of COPD is attributed to his long-term tobacco use.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary disability, asbestosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2004
- Citation
- 0422845
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 0422845.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance from another person, warranting special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Veteran's asbestosis disability is rated at 100% from December 2, 2024 to January 16, 2026. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is dismissed as moot.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis with pleural plaques and vascular dementia as secondary to asbestosis with pleural plaques due to a lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's asbestosis was granted an increased rating of 10 percent, but no higher. Service connection for sleep apnea was denied.
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