The Veteran's asbestosis with pleural plaques was not found to be a contributing cause of his death, and the liver cancer that caused his death is not service-connected.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s asbestosis did not contribute substantially or materially to his death from liver cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- carcinoma of the liver, asbestosis with pleural plaques
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19126935
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for melanoma, respiratory disorder (other than asbestosis, mesothelioma, and sinus condition), and asbestosis with pleural plaques is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded for a videoconference hearing to be scheduled.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for asbestosis with pleural plaques, finding that his pulmonary impairment was due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and not related to service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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