The Veteran's current respiratory disorder, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is not considered to be related to his military service or asbestos exposure. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was more likely due to his long-term history of smoking rather than any in-service asbestos exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1759887
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 1759887.
What this means for you
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The Board denied the claim for TDIU prior to October 18, 2018 due to a lack of evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, brittleness of teeth, chronic headaches, joint pain, and a respiratory condition are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and missing evidence. The Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, a respiratory condition, and bilateral hearing loss are being reviewed.
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