The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to his military service, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not establish a direct link between the veteran's military service and the cause of his death (bronchogenic carcinoma).
- Claimed conditions
- bronchogenic carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2002
- Citation
- 0215689
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 0215689.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information about the Veteran's service in Vietnam. They need to obtain his personnel records and determine if he served on any ships within the 12 nautical mile territorial waters of Vietnam or otherwise served in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for initial compensable disability ratings for bronchogenic carcinoma and surgical scars are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a DRO hearing.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death and denied the claim for nonservice-connected death pension due to lack of qualifying service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his bronchogenic carcinoma to his military service. The Board considered various medical opinions and noted that the most competent evidence attributed the cancer to the Veteran's history of smoking.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.