The Board denied service connection for COPD as a result of asbestos exposure, finding no objective evidence linking the Veteran's death to such exposure. The cause of death was determined to be aspiration pneumonia due to pulmonary emphysema.
The deciding factor: There is no objective medical evidence showing that the Veteran's asbestos exposure caused his COPD or contributed to his terminal condition leading to death.
- Claimed conditions
- asbestos exposure-related lung disease, pulmonary emphysema
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2018
- Citation
- 1804278
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 1804278.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis and remanded the claims for COPD, pulmonary emphysema, GERD, hypertension, and hypertensive CKD due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the Veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection for mononucleosis, pulmonary emphysema, and severe tooth loss. The claim for TDIU was denied as moot due to a combined 100% rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pulmonary emphysema, gastroparesis, and granulomatous hepatitis due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or toxic exposure. The claim for left ventricular systolic dysfunction was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, requiring adequate medical nexus opinions.
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