Asbestos

8,547 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 6,972 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: 8,547 decisions MENTION Asbestos; of the issues inside them, 6,972 were actually tied to this exposure, and 6,751 of those appear in the table. A further 128 conditions came up too few times to chart (fewer than 5 issues each, 221 issues in total) and are not listed, because a single case cannot show a pattern.

Condition	Issues	Granted	Denied	Rem.	Grant %
Asbestosis DC 6833	3248	778	2164	127	26%
Emphysema, pulmonary DC 6603	874	171	664	18	20%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease DC 6604	473	102	348	18	23%
Neoplasms, malignant, any specified part of respiratory system exclusive of skin growths DC 6819	248	87	148	9	37%
Asthma, bronchial DC 6602	199	31	149	15	17%
Diffuse interstitial fibrosis (interstitial pneumonitis, fibrosing alveolitis) DC 6825	196	79	112	3	41%
Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed) DC 6847	196	41	134	18	23%
Malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary system DC 7528	139	39	90	5	30%
Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths DC 7343	120	37	77	4	32%
Bronchitis, chronic DC 6600	114	12	98	4	11%
Chronic pleural effusion or fibrosis DC 6845	96	43	49	4	47%
Arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) DC 7005	86	12	64	10	16%
Hypertensive vascular disease (hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension) DC 7101	60	4	44	9	8%
Malignant skin neoplasms (other than malignant melanoma) DC 7818	57	10	42	2	19%
Diabetes mellitus DC 7913	53	4	41	6	9%
Peripheral arterial disease DC 7114	46	7	36	3	16%
Group XXI. Function: Respiration. Muscles of respiration: Thoracic muscle group DC 5321	35	2	30	0	6%
Sarcoidosis DC 6846	34	5	24	4	17%
Degenerative arthritis, other than post-traumatic DC 5003	27	2	20	0	9%
Pulmonary Vascular Disease DC 6817	25	12	12	1	50%
Pneumoconiosis (silicosis, anthracosis, etc.) DC 6832	21	3	16	2	16%
Dermatitis or eczema DC 7806	21	0	20	1	0%
Bronchiectasis DC 6601	19	4	14	1	22%
Neoplasms, benign, any specified part of respiratory system DC 6820	18	5	12	1	29%
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma DC 7715	17	3	13	0	19%

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

27%

granted (n=1717)

→

With a private / reasoned opinion

41%

granted (n=221)

+14 pts

Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus), then proving a current diagnosis.

Emphysema, pulmonary

No medical opinion

20%

granted (n=266)

→

With a private / reasoned opinion

46%

granted (n=57)

+26 pts

Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

No medical opinion

28%

granted (n=189)

→

With a private / reasoned opinion

28%

granted (n=18)

Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus).

Neoplasms, malignant, any specified part of respiratory system exclusive of skin growths

No medical opinion

24%

granted (n=93)

→

With a private / reasoned opinion

64%

granted (n=33)

+40 pts

Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus).

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.