The Veteran's death was related to military service, and he may have been eligible for government life insurance. However, the VA has determined that there is a positive association between exposure to herbicides and the subsequent development of respiratory cancers of the lung, which led to his death from a presumptive disability associated with Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death was related to military service and presumed due to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, metastatic lung cancer, posttraumatic stress disorder, coronary artery disease, residuals of a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2015
- Citation
- 1521379
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 1521379.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- 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.
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