The Board denied service connection for COPD and bronchitis on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected asbestosis, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to his service-connected pleural plaques. The claim for an increased rating for multifocal, partially calcified pleural plaques was also denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no medical evidence establishing a link between the Veteran’s COPD and bronchitis and his service-connected asbestosis, which is not related to his pleural plaques. The VA opinions provided significant weight in this determination.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20072516
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a TDIU, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bronchitis, COPD, asthma, and plantar fasciitis as not being related to the Veteran's military service. The Board also denied an increased rating for painful malunion of the left clavicle, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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