The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asbestosis, allergic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, and sinusitis. The Veteran's current diagnoses of chronic sinusitis, COPD, and chronic bronchitis were noted, but no diagnosis of asbestosis was found.,Service connection for psoriasis was also denied. The Board concluded that the Veteran’s psoriasis did not originate in service or is otherwise related to his active service.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a link between the diagnosed respiratory conditions and the Veteran's in-service exposure to asbestos, despite his claims of such.,There was no direct evidence linking the Veteran’s psoriasis to his service. The Board found that there is no clinical association between asbestos exposure and psoriasis.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory Disorder, Psoriasis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20056256
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 20056256.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected psoriasis and bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death was cardiopulmonary arrest due to aspiration, and they have found a duty to assist error in their initial decision. They are now requesting a medical opinion to determine if the service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in the November 2020 rating decision. The psychiatric claim, HIV and psoriasis secondary claims, and TDIU issue are all related and must be addressed together.
- Granted
The Veteran's basal cell carcinoma with residual scars, psoriasis, and keratoacanthoma were granted service connection as they resulted from sun exposure during service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.