The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of pleural plaques, which is already service-connected, does not constitute a new disability warranting additional compensation. The claim for mesothelioma was denied as there was no competent medical evidence linking it to his in-service asbestos exposure.
The deciding factor: There was no chronic disease at separation and the Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence of continuity of symptoms after discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary disorder, pleural plaques
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2012
- Citation
- 1237798
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 1237798.
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 Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis with pleural plaques and vascular dementia as secondary to asbestosis with pleural plaques due to a lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for respiratory disorders prior to October 24, 2018; a rating in excess of 10 percent from October 24, 2018; and an evaluation in excess of 60 percent from November 6, 2024 is dismissed.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed for his claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Board found that the issue had been resolved by a prior rating decision granting service connection and assigning a 50% disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the issue of service connection for a pulmonary disorder due to lack of sufficient medical opinion.
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