Toxic Exposures

Asbestos

8,623 published decisions mention Asbestos. Most of them are deciding other claims at the same time, so the table below is narrower on purpose: it counts only the 6,985 individual issues where the claim itself was tied to this exposure. This is a non-presumptive agent, the medical link must be proven case by case, so these Board rulings are the roadmap.

What the Board has tied to Asbestos

Each row: a condition claimed as related to Asbestos, how many issues the Board ruled on, and the granted / denied / remanded split. Click a condition to see its code page, criteria, and the decisions.

What these numbers count: 8,623 decisions MENTION Asbestos; of the issues inside them, 6,985 were actually tied to this exposure, and 6,837 of those appear in the table. An issue the Board decided under two conditions appears in both rows, so the rows add up to 8,402. A further 119 conditions came up too few times to chart (fewer than 5 issues each, 148 issues in total) and are not listed, because a single case cannot show a pattern.

ConditionIssuesGrantedDeniedRem.Grant %
Asbestosis DC 6833 3719 9132455 15727%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease DC 6604 1279 234963 5620%
Emphysema, pulmonary DC 6603 745 152559 1721%
Asthma, bronchial DC 6602 357 53267 2617%
Neoplasms, malignant, any specified part of respiratory system exclusive of skin growths DC 6819 307 111184 838%
Chronic pleural effusion or fibrosis DC 6845 220 10993 854%
Diffuse interstitial fibrosis (interstitial pneumonitis, fibrosing alveolitis) DC 6825 211 84120 441%
Malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary system DC 7528 154 4597 632%
Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed) DC 6847 148 23106 1718%
Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths DC 7343 130 3986 331%
Arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) DC 7005 103 2070 1222%
Hypertensive vascular disease (hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension) DC 7101 81 459 136%
Bronchitis, chronic DC 6600 74 861 312%
Diabetes mellitus DC 7913 74 359 105%
Migraine DC 8100 61 439 49%
Malignant skin neoplasms (other than malignant melanoma) DC 7818 55 943 117%
Pneumoconiosis (silicosis, anthracosis, etc.) DC 6832 47 932 522%
Peripheral arterial disease DC 7114 42 831 321%
Neoplasms, benign, any specified part of respiratory system DC 6820 39 1321 338%
Bronchiectasis DC 6601 33 525 217%
Sarcoidosis DC 6846 32 324 411%
Paralysis of sciatic nerve DC 8520 24 014 80%
Pulmonary Vascular Disease DC 6817 23 913 141%
Scars, other; and other effects of scars evaluated under diagnostic codes 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7804 DC 7805 22 613 032%
Dermatitis or eczema DC 7806 22 119 25%

Read the Board decisions that mention Asbestos ↗

How these claims are won and lost

The single biggest factor in the Board record is a private medical opinion (a nexus letter) linking the condition to the exposure. Here is the grant rate with one vs with no medical opinion, from published decisions on Asbestos:

Asbestosis
No medical opinion
18%
granted (n=2301)
→
With a private / reasoned opinion
48%
granted (n=159)
+30 pts
Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was proving a current diagnosis.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
No medical opinion
18%
granted (n=292)
→
With a private / reasoned opinion
52%
granted (n=42)
+34 pts
Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus).
Emphysema, pulmonary
No medical opinion
22%
granted (n=162)
→
With a private / reasoned opinion
54%
granted (n=24)
+32 pts
Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus), then proving the in-service exposure/event.
Neoplasms, malignant, any specified part of respiratory system exclusive of skin growths
No medical opinion
21%
granted (n=81)
→
With a private / reasoned opinion
74%
granted (n=31)
+53 pts
Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus), then proving the in-service exposure/event.

Percentages reflect the mix of published cases, not a promise for any one claim. The lesson the record repeats: prove the exposure, then get a reasoned medical opinion connecting it to the diagnosis.

What the science says about Asbestos

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals once used heavily in insulation, gaskets, brake linings, shipboard and building materials. Inhaled fibers lodge in the lungs and the lining around them, and the body cannot clear them.

Health effects documented in the toxicology literature

  • Lungs (asbestosis): Scarring of lung tissue (fibrosis) causing shortness of breath and reduced lung function. The signature non-cancer asbestos disease.
  • Lung cancer: Asbestos is an established cause of lung cancer; risk multiplies sharply when combined with smoking.
  • Mesothelioma: Cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen, caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. Long latency, often 20 to 50 years.
  • Pleural disease: Plaques, thickening, and effusions on the lining of the lung; can appear decades after exposure.
  • Other cancers: Evidence also links asbestos to cancers of the larynx and ovary.

Cancer classification: IARC Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans). Also classified a known human carcinogen by the US HHS National Toxicology Program.

Latency: Long. Asbestos diseases commonly appear 15 to 50 years after first exposure, so a claim decades after service is medically expected.

ATSDR Toxic Substances Portal (search this substance) ↗ (public-domain, US ATSDR)

Common questions

Is Asbestos a presumptive exposure?

No. Unlike Agent Orange, burn pits, or Camp Lejeune, Asbestos carries no automatic (presumptive) service connection. You have to prove the medical link yourself, usually with a nexus opinion, which is exactly why how the Board has ruled on it matters.

Why do so many of these conditions show denials?

The granted / denied counts reflect the mix of cases where Asbestos comes up and how hard each link is to prove, not the merit of any one claim. A denial often means the file lacked a medical opinion tying the condition to the exposure, or proof of the exposure itself, not that the condition can never be connected.

How do I show I was exposed to Asbestos?

Service records, your military job (MOS), unit history, and buddy statements can establish the exposure; a medical opinion then connects it to the diagnosed condition. This page reports Board outcomes and is not legal or medical advice, a VSO representative can help with your specific case.

Related Tools and Guides

Board decisions naming Asbestos
Read the actual published decisions this page summarizes.
Nexus Letters
The medical opinion that links an exposure to a diagnosed condition.
Records Request Guide
Pull the service records that prove exposure and your MOS.
All Toxic Exposures
Every non-presumptive agent and the conditions the Board links to it.
Toxic Exposure Hub
Presumptive pathways: PACT Act, Agent Orange, burn pits, Camp Lejeune.
Find a VSO Rep
Free, accredited help proving the link and filing your claim.

← All toxic exposures

RateMyVSO. Educational aggregate of published Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions plus public-domain toxicology (ATSDR). Not affiliated with the VA. Not legal or medical advice. Whether any exposure caused any condition in a specific case is a medical and legal question, a VSO representative can help.