The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected exposure to hazardous substances during his military service, combined with his smoking habit, contributed substantially or materially to his death from lung cancer.
The deciding factor: A VA medical opinion found that the Veteran's hazardous exposure in service and history of smoking jointly contributed to the development of his squamous cell carcinoma, which was the immediate cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, chronic back pain, chronic bilateral knee pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2014
- Citation
- 1402229
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 1402229.
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 determined that the March 2025 decision denying eligibility for PCAFC benefits is legally inadequate and remands the case to allow for a new medical determination considering all relevant evidence, including the Veteran's conditions and functional ability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for chronic back pain, status post multiple surgeries and fusion L4-L5-S1, finding that the Veteran's current disability began during active service. The decision is based on the Veteran's consistent statements of injury in service and subsequent medical treatment.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for chronic back pain, bilateral flatfoot, and hypertension as these conditions are found to have onset in service and continued since separation from service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Veteran's claim is being readjudicated.
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