The Veteran died from carcinoma of the lung, a disability for which service connection had not been established. The claim for burial benefits was denied as he did not meet the criteria for VA burial benefits or plot and interment allowance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death certificate showed that his cause of death was carcinoma of the lung, but there was no evidence of service connection for this condition. Additionally, he did not have an original or reopened claim for compensation or pension at the time of his death, nor was he in receipt of VA benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- carcinoma of the lung
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2012
- Citation
- 1221659
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1221659.
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: Denied
The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and the Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of his death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran is requesting that the AOJ adjudicate whether revision of a March 2006 rating decision which awarded a 100 percent disability rating for carcinoma of the liver and carcinoma of the lung, resulting in the continuation of SMC (L) for aid and attendance, is warranted due to clear and unmistakable error. The Board finds this constitutes pre-decisional error and remands the matter.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's lung cancer and death, specifically related to his exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected carcinoma of the lung with post-operative right upper lobectomy and COPD was denied as his FEV-1/FVC readings were not less than 55 percent, which is required for a higher rating.
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