The service-connected COPD is found to have contributed substantially or materially in causing the Veteran's death from metastatic small cell carcinoma of the lung.
The deciding factor: COPD was shown to be a contributing factor in the Veteran's death, as it likely accelerated his cancer progression and may have been related to his smoking habit.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic small cell carcinoma of the lung
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2014
- Citation
- 1411445
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 1411445.
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 ordered a remand to obtain additional medical records and provide the Appellant with appropriate VCAA notice. The VA will then request these records, review them in light of the new information, and provide an addendum opinion on whether COPD was a serious obstacle to the treatment of lung cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected COPD contributed substantially or materially to his death from lung cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking the cause of death to service or any service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's death is being remanded for further evaluation of his service connection claim due to presumed Agent Orange exposure and cancer of unknown primary origin.
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