The Board denied service connection for a thyroid disability, finding that the Veteran's nodules are not cancerous or tumors and not causally related to his active service, including exposure to radiation during service.,The Board also denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for asbestosis, noting that the Veteran’s condition did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on pulmonary function tests.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the thyroid nodules began during service or are related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's asbestosis did not manifest with post-bronchodilator FVC of 64 percent or less, DLCO of 55 percent or less, or maximum exercise capacity of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation.
- Claimed conditions
- Thyroid Nodules, Asbestosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19173929
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19173929.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected hearing loss is dismissed. An initial 30 percent disability rating for asbestosis is granted.
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- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's asbestosis is rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted based on post-bronchodilator FVC scores.
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