The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of death, dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, and eligibility for dependents' educational assistance under 38 U.S.C.A. Chapter 35 due to a lack of evidence linking his death to any service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's death from lung cancer to any service-connected disabilities, and thus denied all claims.
- Claimed conditions
- lung cancer, loss of skull with metallic plate, traumatic encephalopathy, shell fragment wound residuals, right shoulder, disfiguring scar, right forehead, scar, left arm, shell fragment wound, right hand with retained foreign body
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2000
- Citation
- 0002739
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 0002739.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 12, 2023, for a 50 percent evaluation of bipolar disorder and remanded the other issues for further development.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning the service connection for various conditions and the propriety of a rating reduction has been withdrawn by the Appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left lower extremity neuropathy, as well as lung cancer, due to a need for further evidence through VA examinations.
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