The Veteran died of squamous cell lung cancer, which is not service-connected. The appellant's DIC claim was denied as the cause of death was not due to a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's death to his military service and thus concluded that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2014
- Citation
- 1403183
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 1403183.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a lung disability to obtain adequate examinations and medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran's current lung disabilities are related to his in-service exposures.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for squamous cell lung cancer and asthma as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of September 13, 2019 for the award of Dependency and Indemnity (DIC) for service connection for the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for squamous cell lung cancer and lymph node squamous cell carcinoma have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD has been remanded, as the issue is related to his service-connected lung cancer.
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.