The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), finding that the Veteran's exposure to hazardous chemicals during service, including asbestos and other materials on board ships, is related to his current conditions.,Both conditions were found to be directly related to service due to the conceded exposure to hazardous substances.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not adequately consider the Veteran’s conceded exposure to hazardous chemicals in service, particularly asbestos. The Board found that the Veteran's testimony and lay statements regarding his symptoms during service provided sufficient evidence to support a finding of a nexus between his current conditions and service.,For COPD specifically, the Board noted that there is no clinical research showing a direct link between chemical exposure during military service and the development of COPD. However, given the Veteran's conceded exposure in service, the Board granted service connection based on the direct relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20074171
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20074171.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
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