The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to mesothelioma, but the Board found no evidence of asbestos exposure during service and thus denied service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: There was no credible evidence showing the Veteran was exposed to asbestos in service, which is a requirement for establishing service connection based on direct service connection or presumptive exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- mesothelioma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1543615
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1543615.
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: Granted
The Veteran's mesothelioma was rated at a noncompensable level from November 21, 2019 to December 26, 2020. The Board has now granted a 30 percent rating for this period.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding various conditions, including hypertension and sleep apnea. The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all other issues is also dismissed.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to duty-to-assist errors and insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's COPD and shortness of breath. The VA is required to obtain and associate outstanding treatment records, and provide a new medical opinion on the etiology of the respiratory condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lung condition, to include asthma, COPD, emphysema, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.
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