The Veteran's service-connected respiratory disorder (claimed as asbestosis) is denied.,The Veteran's left shin splint condition, hepatitis C, cataracts (secondary to hepatitis C), malignant melanoma, residuals of a right forearm cyst, and sleep apnea are all denied.,Service connection for these conditions is not granted due to lack of evidence supporting their onset or relationship to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of asbestosis in the Veteran's medical records and concluded that he does not have a current respiratory disorder related to service. The absence of respiratory complaints during service was only one aspect of the evidence considered by the VA examiner, who also relied on medical imaging and pulmonary function tests conducted both during service and after separation.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disorder (claimed as asbestosis), left shin splint condition, hepatitis C, cataracts (secondary to hepatitis C), malignant melanoma, right forearm cyst, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20008471
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 20008471.
What this means for you
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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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
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