The Veteran's service connection claim for a respiratory disorder, including as due to exposure to asbestos and herbicides (Agent Orange), is denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a respiratory cancer associated with Agent Orange exposure and did not find direct evidence linking his current respiratory disorders to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's respiratory disorders are not among the diseases listed for presumptive service connection due to Agent Orange exposure, but he has been exposed to herbicide agents during service. The Board found no direct evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and service.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, emphysema, asthma, reactive airway disease (RAD), fibrosis, soft tissue nodules (granulomatous lung disease)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20066542
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.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent disability rating for unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder with major depressive disorder, recurrent, and alcohol use disorder in early remission, as well as TDIU due to asthma and SMC at the housebound rate.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's respiratory condition and his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
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