The Board has determined that the veteran's use of tobacco and nicotine addiction, which began in service, caused his fatal lung cancer and contributed to his death. As a result, the appeal for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: Medical evidence established that the veteran developed a lifelong addiction to nicotine during service, which led to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, causing his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Metastatic carcinoma of the lung
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2000
- Citation
- 0010821
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 0010821.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for further development and examination, including service connection for PTSD, metastatic carcinoma of the lung, colon condition, special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound status, cause of death, and death pension benefits.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death due to lung cancer and eligibility for Dependents Educational Assistance benefits.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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