The Veteran's claim of service connection for a lung disorder, including calcified right pleural plaque, left pleural effusion, mild subcarinal adenopathy with nodes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary asbestosis is granted. The issue of whether the Veteran was exposed to asbestos aboard USS Vulcan AR-5 during his service is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim of service connection when considered with the previous evidence of record.
- Claimed conditions
- lung disorder, calcified right pleural plaque, left pleural effusion, mild subcarinal adenopathy with nodes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary asbestosis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19106453
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a respiratory disability to obtain an adequate VA examination and additional evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hiatal hernia, COPD, and prostate cancer as a result of toxic exposure during the Veteran's military service.
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