The Board found no evidence of a bilateral leg disorder, low back disorder, asbestosis, or hole in the heart (atrial septal defect) that was incurred during service. The veteran's preexisting hole in the heart was not aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing any current disabilities related to service, and the veteran's preexisting hole in the heart did not show an increase in severity due to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Asbestosis, Bilateral Leg Disorder, Hole in the Heart (Atrial Septal Defect), Low Back Disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2006
- Citation
- 0608114
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 499 · Granted: 18% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0608114.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's TBI alone rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and he is eligible for SMC at the housebound rate due to his single total disability rating with additional disabilities rated at least 60 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The reduction of the disability rating for headaches from 50% to 30% is not proper and is void ab initio. Effective dates are denied for various service connection claims.,Multiple issues related to initial disability ratings, effective dates, and earlier effective dates for higher ratings are remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for higher ratings in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected right knee disability and low back disorder. As a result, the cases are dismissed.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected hearing loss is dismissed. An initial 30 percent disability rating for asbestosis is granted.
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.