The veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected conditions, and the service-connected conditions did not accelerate his death.
The deciding factor: The lung cancer that led to the veteran's death was not present during service or within one year of separation from service. The service-connected disabilities (amputation, osteomyelitis) were not found to be a direct cause of the lung cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Amputation of the right lower extremity below the knee","rating":40,"diagnosis_date":null}, {"condition_name":"Right foot with osteomyelitis","rating":40,"diagnosis_date":null}, {"condition_name":"Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine","rating":20,"diagnosis_date":null}, {"condition_name":"Defective hearing","rating":20,"diagnosis_date":null}, {"condition_name":"Residuals of shell fragment wound of the left foot","rating":10,"diagnosis_date":null}, {"condition_name":"Degenerative joint disease of the left knee","rating":10,"diagnosis_date":null}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2006
- Citation
- 0601020
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
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