The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his cause of death, which was due to myocardial infarction and metastatic carcinoma and COPD. The Board concluded that there is no medical relationship between such disabilities and the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected conditions did not result in debilitating effects or general impairment of health to an extent that rendered him materially less capable of resisting the effects of other disease or injury primarily causing death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic carcinoma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), gunshot wound to the left shoulder with damage to Muscle Group III, major depression in remission
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2002
- Citation
- 0208502
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 0208502.
What this means for you
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- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.
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