The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35, finding new and material evidence in support of these claims.
The deciding factor: New medical evidence provided by a fellow serviceman who served with the veteran on the USS Cascade suggests that the veteran was exposed to asbestos during service and that his death from adenocarcinoma of the lung was related to this exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cause of death, adenocarcinoma of the lung
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 2, 2003
- Citation
- 0322149
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 0322149.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a clarifying opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused his death through obesity as an intermediate step.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a respiratory disability, diagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung, atelectasis, and bronchiectasis, to obtain an updated TERA memorandum and new VA opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for adenocarcinoma of the lung, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and finding that his condition is causally related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for cause of death due to a need for additional evidence, specifically an autopsy report and a medical opinion.
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