The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The veteran died from lung cancer, with contributing disabilities including Crohn's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and tuberculosis. The Board found that his service-connected resection of the large and small intestines did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence established that the veteran's service-connected intestinal disorder did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from lung cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- Lung cancer, Crohn's disease with history of bowel resection, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Tuberculosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2001
- Citation
- 0113520
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 0113520.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's headache disability is granted as service-connected. The left foot condition and lung cancer claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by acute hypoxic respiratory failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with hypertension as a significant contributing factor. The Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain the Veteran's complete military records and treatment records.
- Granted
New evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for tuberculosis, and it is granted. However, there is no current diagnosis of tuberculosis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his lung cancer and military service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish service connection for lung cancer.
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