The Veteran died of metastatic lung carcinoma with pulmonary emphysema contributing to death. Neither condition was service-connected at the time of his death, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service.
The deciding factor: There is no direct or presumptive evidence linking the cause of death to active service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic lung carcinoma, pulmonary emphysema
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2012
- Citation
- 1225143
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 1225143.
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: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary emphysema is granted. The Board also remanded the claims for left and right shoulder disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was not caused by or related to any disease or injury in service, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis and remanded the claims for COPD, pulmonary emphysema, GERD, hypertension, and hypertensive CKD due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted the Veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection for mononucleosis, pulmonary emphysema, and severe tooth loss. The claim for TDIU was denied as moot due to a combined 100% rating.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.