The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death is not related to his active military service and thus denied the claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The expert medical opinion concluded that the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis likely caused his pulmonary fibrosis, which was not associated with in-service exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral pneumonia, Interstitial lung disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2016
- Citation
- 1614530
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1614530.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of interstitial lung disease, and the appeal is dismissed.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by interstitial lung disease, which is presumed to be related to his service-connected exposure to Agent Orange. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
Your appeal for service connection of interstitial lung disease has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The case will not be reconsidered until a new claimant is found eligible.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of interstitial lung disease and lung nodules to obtain a clarifying medical opinion, as the previous VA examination was found to be inadequate.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.