The veteran's senility and bronchogenic carcinoma were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and are not considered to be related to his military service. The Board finds no basis for granting service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that the veteran's senility or bronchogenic carcinoma was incurred during his military service or is otherwise related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- senility, bronchogenic carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2003
- Citation
- 0308273
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0308273.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to insufficient evidence showing she needed regular assistance, was bedridden, or housebound.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
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.