The Veteran's death was caused by squamous cell carcinoma of the ear, nose and throat with metastatic disease. His service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain, depressive disorder, and scar disabilities were not a principal or contributory cause of his death from squamous cell carcinoma of the ear, nose and throat with metastatic disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive Disorder, Lumbosacral Strain, Residuals of Scarring on the Chest and Abdomen, Residuals of Scarring on the Right Thumb, Squamous Cell Carcinoma Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) with Metastatic Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2014
- Citation
- 1414077
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 1414077.
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
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Granted
The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of service connection (January 23, 2020), due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
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