The Veteran's arthritis is not service-connected as it did not manifest during service or within one year of separation and there is no credible evidence linking the condition to asbestos exposure.,There is no current breathing disability that can be linked to asbestos exposure. The Veteran does not have a diagnosed breathing disability, but his shortness of breath was attributed to congestive heart failure (CHF).,The Veteran's headaches are not service-connected as there is no evidence linking the condition to service or any service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's depression is not service-connected as it did not manifest during service and there is no credible evidence linking the condition to a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient competent medical evidence to establish that the Veteran’s arthritis was caused by asbestos exposure or any other in-service event.,The Veteran's breathing disability, presumed due to asbestos exposure, does not meet the criteria for service connection as there is no current diagnosis of a respiratory condition.,The Veteran's headaches are not service-connected because they were not diagnosed during service and there is no evidence linking them to a service-connected disability or any in-service event.,The Veteran's depression is not service-connected as it did not manifest during service and there is no credible evidence linking the condition to a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis, Breathing disability (presumed to be related to asbestos exposure), Headaches, Psychiatric disorder (depression)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19109512
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,030 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19109512.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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