The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his low back disorder and gunshot wound residuals, contributed substantially to causing the veteran's death from recurrent small cell lung cancer.
The deciding factor: The treating physician opined that the veteran's debilitating service-connected conditions rendered him materially less capable of resisting the effects of the recurrent small cell lung cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent small cell lung cancer, status post lumbar laminectomy, lumbar strain and degenerative arthritis, traumatic arthritis of the left knee, residuals of a gunshot wound to Muscle Group XI, anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2000
- Citation
- 0001847
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 0001847.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep disturbances, to include obstructive sleep apnea, as secondary to an anxiety disorder. The increased rating claim for the anxiety disorder was denied, and the heart condition claim was dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board dismissed the appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) and remanded several issues related to increased ratings for various disabilities.
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