The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected shrapnel wounds, which contributed to the development of orbital and sinus cancer that ultimately led to his demise. The Board finds a causal relationship between the in-service injuries and the cause of death.
The deciding factor: Shrapnel wounds from service contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death due to delayed detection and treatment of his orbital/sinus cancer, which was exacerbated by retained foreign bodies/shrapnel in his chest.
- Claimed conditions
- shrapnel wound residuals of the back, left elbow, right shoulder, left thigh, right arm, left calf, right thigh
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2014
- Citation
- 1401440
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1401440.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for left knee, right knee, left wrist, right wrist, and right shoulder disabilities due to duty-to-assist errors and to address the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for automobile or adaptive equipment was denied as she does not have service-connected physical loss of use of her hands, permanent impairment of vision in both eyes, a severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or ankylosis of the knees or hips.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their appeals, leading to the dismissal of all issues on appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for higher disability ratings and service connection were withdrawn, and the appeal concerning a deferred evaluation for left ear hearing loss was dismissed due to a claims-processing error.
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.