The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD with emphysema is related to his service due to asbestos exposure, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s asbestos exposure was less likely than not the cause of his current COPD, but also noted that the scarring in the Veteran's left upper lobe of the lung shown in his April 2018 X-ray indicated chronic inflammation of the lung which can be caused by asbestos exposure and may lead to COPD.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD with emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19140162
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,726 · Granted: 19% (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 19140162.
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 Board has dismissed the appeal as both issues were improperly elected concurrently and no waiver of this prohibition was made.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for COPD with emphysema prior to January 29, 2024, and his request for an earlier effective date for service connection were both denied. The Board found that the earliest applicable date of claim was September 22, 2022, but entitlement did not arise until April 21, 2024.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD with emphysema, finding that the Veteran's condition is not related to his military service or exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The claim was based on presumed exposure to toxic chemicals and asbestos during his time as an aviation structural mechanic.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD with emphysema, finding that the Veteran's condition is not related to his military service or exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The claim was based on presumed exposure to toxic chemicals and asbestos during his time as an aviation structural mechanic.
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