The Veteran's lung disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not related to exposure to benzene. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence does not support a connection between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded there was no objective evidence of any exposure to toxic chemicals during military service, and the chemicals used in photoprocessing do not represent a significant risk for causing respiratory impairment. The Board also found that the May 2005 VA physician's opinion linking the Veteran's condition to benzene exposure is inconsistent with other medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- Lung Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2010
- Citation
- 1034872
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 1034872.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the issue of service connection for a lung disorder is remanded due to lack of exposure documentation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a respiratory disorder due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives and the need for further development, including a VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disorder, finding that there is no persuasive evidence of asbestos exposure or any related condition during his military service and concluding that COPD resulted from long-term smoking rather than asbestos exposure.
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