The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability other than COPD, including benign lung nodules, finding that there is no current evidence of such a condition during or recent to the pendency of the appeal.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show any current diagnosed respiratory disability other than COPD, and the Veteran's lay statements were found to be insufficient to establish this claim.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disability other than COPD, benign lung nodules
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2023
- Citation
- 23067215
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 23067215.
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 a lung disorder, including benign lung nodules, due to exposure to herbicides. The medical evidence did not show the Veteran had a current disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and requested a new VA medical opinion. The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asbestosis and other than COPD, is being reviewed for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's benign lung nodules are causally related to his service-connected asbestos exposure. The claim will be reviewed again with additional medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran does not have an additional disability as a result of VA treatment, including lung biopsies. The Veteran's respiratory disorders are unrelated to the 1998 lung biopsy.
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.