The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected shell fragment wound to his right chest, which resulted in a restrictive lung condition, contributed substantially or materially to his death from cancer of the left lung. This decision grants service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The residual defect from the right lung injury (fibrothorax) caused a restrictive deficit that set the stage for post-operative secretion retention and pneumonia, which contributed substantially or materially to the veteran's death from cancer of the left lung.
- Claimed conditions
- Shell Fragment Wound (SFW) to Right Chest, COPD
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2006
- Citation
- 0600605
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's respiratory condition and his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a TDIU, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date earlier than August 10, 2022, for the grant of a 60 percent rating for sarcoidosis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD.
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