The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic interstitial lung disease, which is presumed to be due to asbestos exposure during his service, contributed substantially or materially to his death. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: A VA pulmonologist concluded that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's chronic lung disease was causally related to his active service due to asbestos exposure, despite the absence of asbestos bodies in the lung tissue. The Board found this opinion to be more probative than another VA physician's opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic interstitial lung disease
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2011
- Citation
- 1139069
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1139069.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Partly granted
The Board grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death pursuant to the PACT Act on a presumptive basis.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and chronic interstitial lung disease were granted under the PACT Act. A compensable rating of at least 10 percent was also granted for photophobia and vitreous floaters.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board finds that the Veteran's current lung disorders, including asthma and chronic interstitial lung disease, are not directly related to her military service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection via aggravation as well.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by multiple conditions, including chronic interstitial lung disease and bronchial asthma. The VA is instructed to obtain additional medical records from the Veteran's physician and provide a new opinion regarding whether his service-connected bronchial asthma contributed to his cause of death.
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