The Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and GERD, both claimed to be due to asbestos exposure during military service, were denied. The VA examiners concluded that the current conditions are not related to service.,VA examiners found no direct link between the Veteran’s in-service asbestos exposure and his current diagnoses of COPD and GERD.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided opinions concluding that the Veteran's COPD and GERD were not caused by his military service, including his exposure to asbestos. They noted that while there was conceded exposure to asbestos during service, no causal relationship could be established between this exposure and the current conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19164257
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 19164257.
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.
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- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as the appellant does not have a documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s).
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable disability rating for right inguinal hernia surgery and service connection for a low back disability, as well as remanded the claims for service connection for GERD and entitlement to an increased rating for hypertension.
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