The Veteran died of lymphomatous meningitis due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which the Board found was not related to his military service. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a link between the Veteran's in-service exposure and his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or its subsequent development into lymphomatous meningitis, nor did it provide sufficient evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's military service caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lymphomatous meningitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 22, 2016
- Citation
- 1625149
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 1625149.
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's appeal for service connection of various conditions has been dismissed without prejudice due to their death.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran passed away during the appeal process, so their claim for non-Hodgkin lymphoma service connection is dismissed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as there is no competent or credible evidence to show that the condition is attributable to active duty service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has removed the character of discharge as a bar to VA compensation benefits, and thus grants the appeal. The claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is referred back to the RO for further consideration.
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