The veteran's death was not due to or the result of disease incurred in or aggravated by service, and his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to cause his death. The appellant's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the cause of death has also been denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not establish that the veteran's service-connected back disability contributed to the development of his renal cancer, and there is no evidence suggesting VA medical treatment caused or significantly contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Renal Cancer, Degenerative Disc Disease and Bulging Disc at L4-L5 and L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2002
- Citation
- 0204398
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 0204398.
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 has determined that the Veteran's renal cancer is at least as likely as not related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure, specifically Agent Orange. As a result, service connection for renal cancer is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was caused by renal cancer and its metastases, but the evidence does not support a connection to service-connected conditions or presumed exposure to herbicides.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for renal cancer and sleep apnea, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that could be linked to the current conditions.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, renal cancer, was not related to his service and denied both claims.
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