The Board found that the veteran's emphysema and CAD are not related to his active duty, including exposure to asbestos. The cancer of the larynx is not service-connected as it is not linked to his service or a service-connected condition.,Service connection for emphysema and CAD was denied on the basis that there is no evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's active duty or any presumptive exposure to asbestos.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not show a direct link between the veteran's current conditions (emphysema, CAD, and cancer of the larynx) and his service or any potential exposure to asbestos during service. The condition of emphysema is presumed to be related to service only if it becomes disabling within one year of separation from active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Cancer of the Larynx, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2006
- Citation
- 0606944
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,645 · 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 0606944.
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 Veteran's TDIU and SMC for housebound status are granted based on service-connected PTSD from October 12, 2023, and CAD from October 1, 2022. The appeals were granted due to the severity of these conditions preventing the Veteran from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) is being remanded for a VA examination to determine its current severity and for the consideration of any outstanding private medical records.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is etiologically related to service exposure to herbicide agents, and thus grants service connection for COPD.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.