The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to new and material evidence, but remains unable to decide on the merits as there is no direct evidence linking the cancer to his military service.
The deciding factor: New evidence does not provide a clear link between the Veteran's military service and the cause of his death (squamous cell carcinoma).
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 16, 2014
- Citation
- 1427143
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 1427143.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, as his Hodgkin's lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth were not related to his military service or any asbestos exposure therein.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth, including as due to exposure to herbicides, has been dismissed because the Veteran died during the appeal process.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the grant of service connection for cause of the Veteran's death was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous, thus restoring service connection.
- Granted
The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for a lumbar spine disability and squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth, with consideration given to the Veteran's credible statements regarding in-service injuries and continuity of symptomatology.
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