Asbestosis decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asbestosis was denied due to lack of evidence of exposure during service and the Veteran's own conflicting statements about his exposure. The claim for erectile dysfunction was not reopened because new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,Service connection for PTSD remains at 50 percent, with symptoms including depression, anxiety, sleep impairment, isolation, and auditory hallucinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and outstanding private treatment records need to be obtained.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD and asbestosis, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and back disorder have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for these conditions.,Service connection has not been established for a lung disorder (due to asbestos exposure).

The Veteran was granted a 70% rating for MDD, effective from the date of decision. A TDIU rating was granted from August 25, 2011 forward.

The Veteran's asbestosis rating is incomplete and needs to be updated due to an inadequate recent VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new examination of his asbestosis and further development regarding his TDIU claim.

The Veteran died from a head injury, but there is no evidence linking his breathing problems or asbestosis to his military service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for cause of death is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's respiratory condition, including asbestosis and COPD, is related to his active service. The appeal for service connection has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asbestosis is not related to his active duty service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's COPD is found to be service connected, while his pleural plaques are not shown to cause any symptoms and are rated as noncompensably disabling.

The Veteran's asbestosis resulted in DLCO (SB) scores between 40 to 55 percent predicted from July 6, 2010, to January 6, 2016. This meets the criteria for a 60% disability rating under Diagnostic Code 6833.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of an in-service event, disease, or injury that could be linked to the claimed conditions. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a right knee disability, left knee disability, shin splints of either leg, cervical spine disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis of the wrists and hands, or sinus disability due to asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA examination reports to assess the severity of his pulmonary asbestosis and bilateral hearing loss disabilities.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions, and the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.