The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory/pulmonary disorder, including as a result of exposure to asbestos, is denied. The Board found no evidence linking the current condition to service or to asbestos exposure.
The deciding factor: There was no medical evidence linking the Veteran's COPD to asbestos exposure and the latency period between exposure and development of disease did not support the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory/pulmonary disorder, bilateral lung condition, asbestos-related lung disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 31, 2012
- Citation
- 1226413
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 1226413.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding clarification of whether the Veteran currently has a diagnosis of a respiratory condition related to his service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the adequacy of the March 2024 VA examination and the need for clarification on why DLCO testing was not completed.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's asbestos-related lung disease, including a right lower lobe pulmonary nodule, is found to be at least as likely as not the result of service. Service connection for this condition is granted.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to the untimeliness and inapplicability of the Veteran's Notice of Disagreement with regard to a May 2016 rating decision.
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