The Board found that the Veteran's death from lung cancer and COPD was not caused by or a result of his service-connected disabilities, nor were they attributable to his active military service.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that cigarette smoking led to the Veteran's COPD and lung cancer, which precluded service connection for cause of death due to these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- laryngitis, pharynx injury with aphonia, labyrinthitis with vertigo, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, otitis media of the right ear, sinusitis, bilateral tympanic membrane perforation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2014
- Citation
- 1447812
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 1447812.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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