The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bladder carcinoma, cardiovascular disorder, left eye disorder, and neuropathy of both legs. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or secondary to cigarette smoking.
The deciding factor: Medical expert opinion was lacking in supporting the veteran's claim for service connection based on his history of cigarette smoking.
- Claimed conditions
- Bladder carcinoma, Cardiovascular disorder, Left eye disorder, Neuropathy of both legs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 25, 2005
- Citation
- 0523402
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 0523402.
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: Partly granted
The Board denied entitlement to accrued benefits and DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 because the Veteran did not meet the statutory requirements. The Board remanded entitlement to service connection for cause of death and survivor's pension benefits to obtain a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD aggravated his sleep apnea.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and a left eye disorder, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's military service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for hearing loss, abdominal pain, and a left eye disorder was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement. The appeals for other conditions were denied based on lack of evidence linking them to service.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral ear disorder and remanded the remaining issues for further development.
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