The Board finds that the preponderance of the probative and credible medical evidence is against finding a direct relationship between the Veteran's current lung disability and his military service, including exposure to asbestos. The Veteran's lung conditions are more likely due to his smoking history.
The deciding factor: VA examination indicated no objective evidence for asbestosis found on examination and that it would be only with resort to mere speculation to opine whether or not any of the Veteran's current lung conditions are due to or aggravated by in-service asbestos exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Pleural thickening, Bronchial thickening, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with recurrent bronchitis, Status post pulmonary embolus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2014
- Citation
- 1425749
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 1425749.
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: Denied
The VA determined that the Veteran's current pulmonary disorder, including pleural thickening and COPD, is not related to his service or asbestos exposure. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service connection claim for restrictive lung disease, including pleural thickening, is denied as the evidence does not establish a nexus between his current condition and active military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for back disability with neurological impairment in the right leg, hypertension, pleural thick thickness, and bilateral hearing loss. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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