The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic respiratory disorder, including pulmonary fibrosis, finding that there was no causal relationship between his current condition and his military service. The appeal is based on exposure to ionizing radiation during Operation HARDTACK I, but the dose assessment provided by DTRA did not support the conclusion of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's chronic respiratory disorder, including pulmonary fibrosis, was not shown to be causally related to his military service or any exposure to ionizing radiation. The VA determined that there was no reasonable possibility that the condition resulted from exposure to ionizing radiation during service.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic respiratory disorder, pulmonary fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069751
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 Board granted service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, finding it to be related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a lung disability, claimed as pulmonary fibrosis, for further development and evidence review.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a conclusion that his service-connected conditions prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for 12 respiratory conditions due to a need for additional medical evidence and examinations.
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