The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for lung disease, finding that there is no competent medical evidence showing a link between his current disability and exposure to asbestos or jet fuel in service. The Veteran's lay statements were considered less probative than the VA opinions.
The deciding factor: There was no support from peer literature or studies linking exposure to jet fuel with development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and the Board found that the Veteran’s lung disease was not caused by his exposure to either jet fuel or asbestos in service.
- Claimed conditions
- lung disease, interstitial lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19127270
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for pulmonary hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's already service-connected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all claims on appeal, and the Board dismissed the appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as well as claims for Dependency and Indemity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, accrued benefits, and additional nonservice-connected burial benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for cause of death to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's prior medical history.
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