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 secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which had been diagnosed in 1996 and progressed over time.
The deciding factor: The medical records did not show any asbestos-related conditions, and the examiner opined that there is no objective evidence linking the Veteran's death to his service-connected COPD or asbestos exposure.
- 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
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary emphysema is granted. The Board also remanded the claims for left and right shoulder disabilities.
- 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.
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