The Board found that the evidence did not support a connection between the Veteran's death and his period of active service, including any in-service throat condition or rheumatic heart disease.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's cancer of the larynx to an in-service event or incident. The first diagnosis of both conditions occurred many years after separation from service, and lay statements did not provide a sufficient nexus.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the larynx, rheumatic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2009
- Citation
- 0907340
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including alopecia areata, hidradenitis suppurativa, arthritis, cancer of the larynx, pulmonary embolism, peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities, renal cell cancer, and sleep apnea, as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.
- Granted
The Board restored the 100 percent rating for cancer of the larynx and granted special monthly compensation based on statutory housebound status.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatic heart disease was granted. The claim for hypertensive vascular disease was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's appeals for a rating reduction from 100 percent to 10 percent for cancer of the larynx, as well as his claims for an increased rating and TDIU. Additional development is required due to the complexity of the case.
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